Dinosaurus is an extinct genus of therapsid of controversial affinities. Its type and only species is Dinosaurus murchisonii. It is only known from a partial snout from the Permian of Russia. Its taxonomic history is intertwined with several other poorly-known Russian therapsids, particularly Rhopalodon, Brithopus, and Phthinosuchus.
Dicynodontia is an extinct clade of anomodonts, an extinct type of non-mammalian therapsid. Dicynodonts were herbivores that typically bore a pair of tusks, hence their name, which means 'two dog tooth'. Members of the group possessed a horny, typically toothless beak, unique amongst all synapsids. Dicynodonts first appeared in Southern Pangaea during the mid-Permian, ca. 270–260 million years ago, and became globally distributed and the dominant herbivorous animals in the Late Permian, ca. 260–252 Mya. They were devastated by the end-Permian Extinction that wiped out most other therapsids ca. 252 Mya. They rebounded during the Triassic but died out towards the end of that period. They were the most successful and diverse of the non-mammalian therapsids, with over 70 genera known, varying from rat-sized burrowers to elephant-sized browsers.
Gorgonopsia is an extinct clade of sabre-toothed therapsids from the Middle to Upper Permian roughly 265 to 252 million years ago. They are characterised by a long and narrow skull, as well as elongated upper and sometimes lower canine teeth and incisors which were likely used as slashing and stabbing weapons. Postcanine teeth are generally reduced or absent. For hunting large prey, they possibly used a bite-and-retreat tactic, ambushing and taking a debilitating bite out of the target, and following it at a safe distance before its injuries exhausted it, whereupon the gorgonopsian would grapple the animal and deliver a killing bite. They would have had an exorbitant gape, possibly in excess of 90°, without having to unhinge the jaw.
Ornithopsis is a genus of sauropod dinosaur, from the Early Cretaceous of England. The type species, which is the only species seen as valid today, is O. hulkei, which is only known from fragmentary remains, and has been regarded by many authors as dubious.
Gorgonops is an extinct genus of gorgonopsian therapsid, of which it is the type genus. Gorgonops lived during the Late Permian (Wuchiapingian), about 260–254 million years ago in what is now South Africa.
Inostrancevia is an extinct genus of large carnivorous therapsids which lived during the Late Permian in what is now European Russia and South Africa. The first known fossils of this gorgonopsian were discovered in the Northern Dvina, where two almost complete skeletons were exhumed. Subsequently, several other fossil materials were discovered in various oblasts, and these finds will lead to a confusion about the exact number of valid species in the country, before only three of them were officially recognized : I. alexandri, I. latifrons and I. uralensis. More recent research carried out in South Africa has discovered fairly well-preserved remains of the genus, being attributed to the species I. africana. The whole genus is named in honor of Alexander Inostrantsev, professor of Vladimir P. Amalitsky, the paleontologist who described the taxon.
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.
Nikkasaurus is an extinct genus of therapsids first named and described by Ivakhnenko.
Venyukovia is an extinct genus of venyukovioid therapsid, a basal anomodont from the Middle Permian of Russia. The type and sole species, V. prima, is known only by a partial lower jaw with teeth. Venyukovia has often been incorrectly spelt as 'Venjukovia' in English literature. This stems from a spelling error made by Russian palaeontologist Ivan Efremov in 1940, who mistakenly replaced the 'y' with a 'j', which subsequently permeated through therapsid literature before the mistake was caught and corrected. Venyukovia is the namesake for the Venyukovioidea, a group of small Russian basal anomodonts also including the closely related Otsheria, Suminia, Parasuminia and Ulemica, although it itself is also one of the poorest known. Like other venyukovioids, it had large projecting incisor-like teeth at the front and lacked canines, although the remaining teeth are simple compared to some other venyukovioids, but may resemble those of Otsheria.
Megawhaitsia is an extinct genus of large therocephalian therapsids who lived during the Late Permian (Wuchiapingian) in what is now Eastern Europe. The only known species is M. patrichae, described in 2008 from several fossils discovered in various oblasts of European Russia. The fossils are representative of a large animal whose skull size is estimated to be 40–50 cm (16–20 in) long.
Niaftasuchus is an extinct genus of therapsids. Its type and only named species is Niaftasuchus zekkeli.
Reiszia is an extinct genus of therapsids from European Russia belonging to the family Nikkasauridae.
Tropidostoma is a medium-sized herbivorous oudenodontid dicynodont therapsid that lived during the Late Permian (Lopingian) period in South Africa. The first Tropidostoma fossil was described by Harry Govier Seeley in 1889. Later two subspecies were identified. Tropidostoma fossils are an index fossil in a biozone of the Karoo Basin known as the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone. This biozone is characterized by the presence of this species in association with another dicynodont species, Endothiodon uniseries.
Venyukovioidea is an infraorder of anomodont therapsids related to dicynodonts from the Permian of Russia. They have also been known as 'Venjukovioidea', as well as by the similar names 'Venyukoviamorpha' or 'Venjukoviamorpha' in literature. This in part owes to a misspelling by Russian palaeontologist Ivan Efremov in 1940 when he mistakenly spelt Venyukovia, the namesake of the group, with a 'j' instead of a 'y', which permeated through subsequent therapsid literature before the mistake was caught and corrected. The order Ulemicia has also been coined for a similar taxonomic concept in Russian scientific literature, which notably excludes Suminia and Parasuminia.
Macroscelesaurus is an extinct genus of therocephalian therapsid from the Late Permian of South Africa. The type species Macroscelesaurus janseni was named by Sidney H. Haughton in 1918 from the Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone. It is one of the few therocephalians known from postcranial remains.
Novocynodon is an extinct genus of therapsids from the Middle Permian of Russia. Fossils have been found in Alexandrovsky District, Orenburg Oblast. The type and only species is Novocynodon kutorgai. It was classified as a thrinaxodontid cynodont when first described in 2012, but this was disputed by Kammerer (2014), who argued that it might instead be a juvenile anomodont or dinocephalian.
Doniceps is an extinct genus of reptile from the Early Triassic of European Russia known from the type species D. lipovensis. It was solely known from the holotype premaxilla 104/3106 housed at Saratov University, however the specimen is probably lost. It was collected at the Donskaya Luka Locality near the village of Sirotinskaya in Ilovlinsky District, Volgograd Oblast, from the Lipovskaya Formation of the Gamskii Horizon. The generic name refers to the nearby Don River added the Greek suffix for "head", -ceps. The specific name is derived from the name of the type locality Donskaya Luka, also known as Lipovaya Balka. Named by Otschev and Rykov in 1968 as an archosauromorph, Arkhangelskii & Sennikov (2008) classified the taxon as a possible trilophosaurid. Doniceps is thought to be similar to Coelodontognathus and Vitalia, both of which are known exclusively from the same locality and were first identified as procolophonids but later reclassified as trilophosaurids.
Vitalia is an extinct genus of reptile from the Early Triassic of European Russia known from the type species V. grata. It is known from the holotype dentary PIN 4173/126 as well as two additional dentaries PIN 1043/627 and 1043/628, all housed at the Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences. The type dentary was originally included in the hypodigm of Coelodontognathus donensis named by the notable Russian vertebrate paleontologist Vitaliy Georgiyevich Ochev in 1967. Ivakhnenko (1973) separated the specimen and gave it its own genus and species name in light of the new material, which he named in honor of Ochev. The dentaries of Vitalia were collected at the Donskaya Luka Locality near the village of Sirotinskaya in Ilovlinsky District, Volgograd Oblast, from the Lipovskaya Formation of the Gamskii Horizon. Like Coelodontognathus, Vitalia was originally described as a procolophonid parareptile in 1973, but Arkhangelskii & Sennikov (2008) reclassified the taxon as a possible trilophosaurid archosauromorph. Vitalia is thought to be similar to the possible trilophosaurids Coelodontognathus and Doniceps, both of which are known exclusively from the same locality. Coelodontognathus and Vitalia are similar to procolophonids in that they have wide teeth but differs from them in that they have tooth roots set deep into the jaws.
Parasumina is an extinct genus of anomodont known from the late Capitanian age at the end of the middle Permian period of European Russia. The type and only species is Parasuminia ivakhnenkoi. It was closely related to Suminia, another Russian anomodont, and was named for its resemblance. Little is known about Parasuminia as the only fossils are of fragmentary pieces of the skull and jaw, but the known remains suggest that its head and jaws were deeper and more robust than those of Suminia, and with shorter, stouter teeth. However, despite these differences they appear to have been similar animals with a similarly complex method of processing vegetation.
