| Anningia | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Family: | † Varanopidae |
| Subfamily: | † Mesenosaurinae |
| Genus: | † Anningia |
| Species: | †A. megalops |
| Binomial name | |
| †Anningia megalops Broom, 1927 | |
Anningia is an extinct genus in Varanopidae, a family of monitor lizard-like amniotes. It contains a single species, Anningia megalops. [1]
The species was first described by Robert Broom in 1927 as a transitional species between early synapsids and later occurring therapsids. [2] While it was later suggested that the fossil material, a partial poorly preserved skull, was not diagnosable and that the species name is nomen vanum . [3] It was assigned to Varanopidae (subfamily Mesenosaurinae) in 2018. [4] The fossil is from the Permian of South Africa.
