Eotitanosuchus

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Eotitanosuchus
Temporal range: Wordian, 267  Ma
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Eotitanosuchus head.jpg
Life restoration of Eotitanosuchus olsoni
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Therapsida
Suborder: Biarmosuchia
Family: Eotitanosuchidae
Genus: Eotitanosuchus
Tchudinov, 1960
Species:
E. olsoni
Binomial name
Eotitanosuchus olsoni
Tchudinov, 1960
Synonyms

Eotitanosuchus ("dawn giant crocodile") is an extinct genus of biarmosuchian therapsids whose fossils were found in the town of Ochyor in Perm Krai, Russia. It lived about 267 million years ago. The only species is Eotitanosuchus olsoni.

Contents

Description

Skull cast of Eotitanosuchus Eotitanosuchus skull.jpg
Skull cast of Eotitanosuchus

Eotitanosuchus is known from a single large skull without a lower jaw. The skull was 35 cm (14 in), but the overall length may have been over 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in), possibly up to 6 m (20 ft) and more than 600 kg (1,300 lb) in weight for adult specimens. [1] Like Biarmosuchus tener, it was primitive in that, though it was a predator, the temple opening behind the eye was small, giving it a weak bite. The temple was, however, larger at the top than in other biarmosuchians.

Paleobiology

Eotitanosuchus fossils were found in the Perm (or Cis-Urals) region of Russia. Eotitanosuchus was without doubt a dominant animal of its environment. Found preserved in flood deposits (once coastal bogs) containing many skeletons of estemmenosuchids, it has been suggested that this large predator was an excellent swimmer, possibly semi-aquatic or frequenting marshy ground. This, however, is just speculation.

Classification

Eotitanosuchus is often grouped with the Phthinosuchidae and the Biarmosuchidae. In fact, Ivakhnenko (1999) argues that Biarmosuchus tener and Eotitanosuchus olsoni are the same organism, which would eliminate the Eotitanosuchia as a separate taxon, though this conclusion does not seem to have been widely accepted. Regardless of the eventual outcome of this debate, Ivakhnenko's paper does seem to show that Eotitanosuchus is very similar to Biarmosuchus. Further, given the rather close similarity between Eotitanosuchus and later therapsids, this observation supports the view that Biarmosuchia is paraphyletic. Others view Eotitanosuchus as quite distinct from other basal therapsids and perhaps closer to the Gorgonopsia but gorgonopsian specializations are either not present in Eotitanosuchus or, as is more often the case, the state of the characters is unknown. This genus is characterized by many primitive features of the septomaxilla, the postorbital, the parietal, the interparietal, the basioccipital, the quadrate rami of the pterygoid and the vomers of the skull. The length of the dorsal process of the premaxilla (front jawbone) and the postorbital twisting (rear side of the skull) constitute specializations that indicate it is not a direct gorgonopsian ancestor. These features, however, are shared by the anteosaur and biarmosuchid lineages.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Therapsid</span> Clade of tetrapods including mammals

A therapsid is a member of the clade Therapsida which is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals and their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origin within early therapsids, including limbs that were oriented more underneath the body, as opposed to the sprawling posture of many reptiles and salamanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinocephalia</span> Extinct clade of stem-mammals

Dinocephalians are a clade of large-bodied early therapsids that flourished in the Early and Middle Permian between 279.5 and 260 million years ago (Ma), but became extinct during the Capitanian mass extinction event. Dinocephalians included herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous forms. Many species had thickened skulls with many knobs and bony projections. Dinocephalians were the first non-mammalian therapsids to be scientifically described and their fossils are known from Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania.

<i>Biarmosuchus</i> Extinct genus of therapsids

Biarmosuchus is an extinct genus of biarmosuchian therapsids that lived around 267 mya during the Middle Permian period. Biarmosuchus was discovered in the Perm region of Russia. The first specimen was found in channel sandstone that was deposited by flood waters originating from the young Ural Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biarmosuchia</span> Extinct suborder of therapsids

Biarmosuchia is an extinct clade of non-mammalian synapsids from the Permian. Biarmosuchians are the most basal group of the therapsids. They were moderately-sized, lightly built carnivores, intermediate in form between basal sphenacodont "pelycosaurs" and more advanced therapsids. Biarmosuchians were rare components of Permian ecosystems, and the majority of species belong to the clade Burnetiamorpha, which are characterized by elaborate cranial ornamentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Therocephalia</span> Extinct order of therapsids

Therocephalia is an extinct clade of eutheriodont therapsids from the Permian and Triassic. The therocephalians ("beast-heads") are named after their large skulls, which, along with the structure of their teeth, suggest that they were carnivores. Like other non-mammalian synapsids, therocephalians were once described as "mammal-like reptiles". Therocephalia is the group most closely related to the cynodonts, which gave rise to the mammals. This relationship takes evidence in a variety of skeletal features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estemmenosuchidae</span> Extinct family of therapsids

Estemmenosuchidae is an extinct family of large, very early herbivorous therapsids that flourished during the Guadalupian period. They are distinguished by horn-like structures, probably for display or agonistic behavior. Apart from the best known genus, Estemmenosuchus, the group is poorly known. To date, their fossils are known only from the Perm region of Russia.

<i>Estemmenosuchus</i> Extinct genus of therapsids

Estemmenosuchus is an extinct genus of large, early omnivorous therapsid. It is believed and interpreted to have lived during the middle part of the Middle Permian around 267 million years ago. The two species, E. uralensis and E. mirabilis, are characterised by distinctive horn-like structures, which were probably used for intra-specific display. Both species of Estemmenosuchus are from the Perm region of Russia. Two other estemmenosuchids, Anoplosuchus and Zopherosuchus, are now considered females of the species E. uralensis. There were many complete and incomplete skeletons found together.

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<i>Lemurosaurus</i> Extinct genus of therapsids

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Kamagorgon is an extinct genus of therapsids from the Middle Permian of Russia. The type and only species is Kamagorgon ulanovi. It is only known from an incomplete skull. The snout is short and the canine teeth are very large. Kamagorgon was named in 1998 and originally classified in the biarmosuchian family Eotitanosuchidae along with the poorly known therapsid Eotitanosuchus. More recently, Kamagorgon has considered as a primitive gorgonopsian rather than a biarmosuchian due to the length of the front jawbone and rear side of the skull. These features are commonly shared by the brithopodid and biarmosuchid lineages.

<i>Paraburnetia</i> Extinct genus of therapsids

Paraburnetia is an extinct genus of biarmosuchian therapsids from the Late Permian of South Africa. It is known for its species P. sneeubergensis and belongs to the family Burnetiidae. Paraburnetia lived just before the Permian–Triassic mass extinction event.

<i>Lobalopex</i> Extinct genus of therapsids

Lobalopex is an extinct genus of biarmosuchian therapsids. It was alive during the Late Permian and has only been found in the Teekloof Formation in South Africa. The only known species of the genus is Lobalopex mordax. Lobalopex is part of the clade of Burnetiamorpha, which have fossil specimens located in multiple areas of Africa and Russia.

<i>Megawhaitsia</i> Extinct genus of large therapsids from the Late Permian in East Russia

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<i>Bullacephalus</i> Extinct genus of animal

Bullacephalus is an extinct genus of biarmosuchian therapsids belonging to the family Burnetiidae. The type species B. jacksoni was named in 2003. It is known from a relatively complete skull and lower jaw, discovered in the Late Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group of South Africa. This genus of therapsida lived during the Late Permian period, approximately 250 million years ago. The name Bullacephalus comes from the Latin words "bullatus," meaning "bossed" or "knobbed," and "cephalus," meaning "head." This name refers to the distinctive bony knob on the top of the therapsid's skull, which contributes to the history of this genus. This stem based taxon includes Ictidorhinus or Hippasaurs. Bullacephalus can even be characterized as having a, “skull moderately to greatly pachyostotic; swollen boss present above the postorbital bar formed by the postfrontal and postorbital; deep linear sculpturing of the snout; exclusion of the jugal from the lateral temporal fenestra”. These Therapsids have spongy bone skull roof, palatal process of premaxilla are long, diverticulum of naris adding them to the Burnetiamorph. Furthermore, the discovery of Bullacephalus has helped to refine the taxonomic classification of therapsids. Prior to its discovery, there was uncertainty regarding the relationship between different groups of therapsids, particularly the Burnetiamorpha and the Biarmosuchia. However, the distinctive features of Bullacephalus suggest that it is a member of the Burnetiamorpha, and provides a bridge between this group and the Biarmosuchia. The discovery of Bullacephalus has also highlighted the importance of continued exploration and excavation in areas that have yielded few therapsid fossils. The Beaufort Group of South Africa, where Bullacephalus was discovered, has been an important site for therapsid fossils, but much of the area remains unexplored. Further discoveries in this region and other areas around the world may provide new insights into the evolution and diversification of therapsids, as well as other groups of extinct animals. These discoveries will also help to refine our understanding of the history of life on Earth and the processes that have shaped the diversity of organisms that exist today.

Lycaenodon is an extinct genus of biarmosuchian therapsids from the Late Permian of South Africa. It is known from a single species, Lycaenodon longiceps, which was named by South African paleontologist Robert Broom in 1925. Both are small-bodied biarmosuchians. Two specimens are known, and both preserve only the front portions of the skull. These specimens come from the Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin. Broom attributed the back portion of a third skull to Lycaenodon, but subsequent examiners considered it to belong to a gorgonopsian or dinocephalian and not a biarmosuchian. Most of the distinguishing features of Lycaenodon come from its palate. As a member of Biarmosuchia, the most basal group of therapsids, Lycaenodon shares many features with earlier and less mammal-like synapsids like Dimetrodon.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phthinosuchia</span> Extinct infraorder of mammals

Phthinosuchia is an extinct group of therapsids including two poorly known species, Phthinosuchus discors and Phthinosaurus borrisiaki, from the Middle Permian of Russia. Phthinthosuchus is known a partial crushed skull and Phthinosaurus is known from an isolated lower jaw. The two species have traditionally been grouped together based on their shared primitive characteristics, but more recent studies have proposed that they are more distantly related. Phthinosuchus is either a carnivorous gorgonopsian relative or an anteosaurian dinocephalian while Phthinosaurus is either a herbivorous rhopalodont dinocephalian or a therocephalian.

Phorcys is an extinct genus of gorgonopsian that lived during the Middle Permian period (Guadalupian) of what is now South Africa. It is known from two specimens, both portions from the back of the skull, that were described and named in 2022 as a new genus and species P. dubei by Christian Kammerer and Bruce Rubidge. The generic name is from Phorcys of Greek mythology, the father of the Gorgons from which the gorgonopsians are named after, and refers to its status as one of the oldest representatives of the group in the fossil record. Phorcys was recovered from the lowest strata of the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone (AZ) of the Beaufort Group, making it one of the oldest known gorgonopsians in the fossil record—second only to fragmentary remains of an indeterminate gorgonopsian from the older underlying Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone.

References

  1. "Eotitanosuchidae". Kheper. M.Alan Kazlev. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2022.