Brithopus

Brithopus Temporal range: Middle Permian, Ufimian
Life restoration of Brithopus feeding on a temnospondyl
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Clade:	Therapsida
Suborder:	† Dinocephalia
Family:	† Brithopodidae
Genus:	† Brithopus Kutorga, 1838
Species:	†B. priscus
Binomial name
†Brithopus priscus Kutorga, 1838
Synonyms
Rhopalodon murchisoniFischer, 1845 Dinosaurus murchisoni(Fischer, 1845)

Brithopus is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsids. It contains a single species, Brithopus priscus, known from fragmentary remains found in the Copper Sandstones near Isheevo, Russia.

Description

Brithopus was fairly large, reaching a length of 2.5–3 m (8–10 ft). ^[1] The skull was similar to Titanophoneus , but more massive and heavily built. ^[2]

Classification

4 is a Brithopus limb-bone

B. priscus was first named in 1838 and was traditionally classified in the Anteosauria, a group of carnivorous dinocephalians. Brithopus served as the basis for the family Brithopodidae, which once included many anteosaurian species. Because it is based on fragmentary material, Brithopus is regarded as a nomen dubium by some researchers. Brithopus was later considered a possible estemmenosuchid, ^[3] a type of herbivorous tapinocephalian therapsid. ^[4]

Dinosaurus and Eurosaurus have both been considered synonyms of Brithopus. ^[5]

See also

• List of therapsids

References

1. "Palaeos Vertebrates Therapsida: Anteosauria". palaeos.com. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
2. Olson, E.C. (1962). "Late Permian terrestrial vertebrates, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R." Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Series, 52: 1–224.
3. Kammerer, C. F. 2010. Systematics of the Anteosauria (Therapsida: Dinocephalia). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 9, 261-304.
4. Kammerer, C.F. (2011). "Systematics of the Anteosauria (Therapsida: Dinocephalia)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 9 (2): 261–304. doi:10.1080/14772019.2010.492645. S2CID   84799772.
5. Battail, B., and Surkov, M. V. (2000). "Mammal-like reptiles from Russia." The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia, 86-119.

External links

• Message to the Dinosaur Mailing List briefly detailing the history of the name