Inostrancevia is an extinct genus of large carnivorous therapsids who lived during the Late Permian in what is now European Russia. The first known fossils of this gorgonopsian were discovered in the Northern Dvina, where two almost complete skeletons was exhumed. Subsequently, several other fossil material was discovered in various oblasts, and these finds will lead to a confusion about the exact number of valid species, before only three of them where officially recognized : I. alexandri, I. latifrons and I. uralensis. The genus is named in honor of Alexander Inostrantsev, professor of Vladimir P. Amalitsky, the paleontologist who described the taxon.
Ericiolacerta is an extinct genus of small therocephalian therapsids from the early Triassic of South Africa and Antarctica. Ericiolacerta, meaning "hedgehog lizard", was named by D.M.S. Watson in 1931. The species E. parva is known from the holotype specimen which consists of a nearly complete skeleton found in the Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone within the Katberg Formation of the Beaufort Group in South Africa, and from a partial jaw found in the Lower Triassic Fremouw Formation in Antarctica. Ericiolacerta was around 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, with long limbs and relatively small teeth. It probably ate insects and other small invertebrates. The therocephalians – therapsids with mammal-like heads – were abundant in Permian times, but only a few made it into the Triassic. Ericiolacerta was one of those. It is possible that they gave rise to the cynodonts, the only therapsid group to survive into post-Triassic times. Cynodonts gave rise to mammals.
Therocephalia is an extinct order 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.
The theriodonts are a major group of therapsids which appeared during the Middle Permian and which includes the gorgonopsians and the eutheriodonts, itself including the therocephalians and the cynodonts.
Parotosuchus is an extinct genus of capitosaurian temnospondyl amphibians within the family Mastodonsauridae. Fossils are known from the Early Triassic of Europe, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. It was about 2 metres (6.6 ft) long and likely lived in aquatic environments such as lakes and rivers. Parotosuchus was covered in a scaly skin, unlike the smooth skin of modern-day amphibians, and probably moved with an eel-like motion in the water.
Sauroctonus is an extinct genus of gorgonopsian therapsids who lived during the end of the Middle Permian in what is now European Russia. The first fossils, discovered in Tatarstan, were first considered to belong to a new species of the South African genus Arctognathus, named A. progressus in 1938. The taxon will be designated as such until 1940, when it will be assigned to the genus Inostrancevia by Ivan Yefremov, before being definitively classified in a separate genus erected by Alexey Bystrow in 1955. The most complete known fossils of S. progressus include cranial and postcranial elements currently all recorded in Tatarstan. These elements show that the animal is a rather medium-sized gorgonopsian.
Viatkogorgon is a genus of gorgonopsian that lived during the Permian period in what is now Russia. The first fossil was found at the Kotelnich locality near the Vyatka River and was made the holotype of the new genus and species V. ivachnenkoi in 1999. The generic name refers to the river and the related genus Gorgonops—the gorgons of Greek mythology are often referenced in the names of the group. The specific name honors the paleontologist Mikhail F. Ivakhnenko. The holotype skeleton is one of the most complete gorgonopsian specimens known and includes rarely preserved elements such as gastralia and a sclerotic ring. A larger, but poorly preserved specimen has also been assigned to the species.
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.
Promoschorhynchus is a genus of akidnognathid therocephalians from the Late Permian and Early Triassic of South Africa. Unlike many other therapsids, Promoschorhynchus survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event.
Scalopodontes is an extinct genus of therocephalian which existed in Russia during the Late Permian period. The type species is Scalopodontes kotelnichi. Fossils have been found in the Sokolki Assemblage Zone of the Urpalov Formation.
Malasaurus is an extinct genus of therocephalian therapsids which lived in South east Finland, North west Russia. The type species is Malasaurus germanus.
Perplexisaurus is a genus of therocephalian therapsid from the Middle to Late Permian Deltavjatia vjatkensis Assemblage Zone, Vanyushonki Member of the Urpalov Formation of Russia. It was described by L. P. Tatarinov in 1997, and the type species is P. foveatus. A new species, P. lepusculus, was described by M.F. Ivachnenko in 2011, from Russia.
Blattoidealestes is an extinct genus of therocephalian therapsid from the Middle Permian of South Africa. The type species Blattoidealestes gracilis was named by South African paleontologist Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone in 1954. Dating back to the Middle Permian, Blattoidealestes is one of the oldest therocephalians. It is similar in appearance to the small therocephalian Perplexisaurus from Russia, and may be closely related.
Scalopodon is an extinct genus of therocephalian therapsids from the Late Permian of Russia. The type species Scalopodon tenuisfrons was named in 1999 from the Kotelnichsky District of Kirov Oblast. Scalopodon is known from a single fragmentary holotype specimen including the back of the skull, the left side of the lower jaw and isolated postorbital and prefrontal bones. The skull was found in the Deltavjatia Assemblage Zone, which dates back to the early Wuchiapingian about 260 million years ago. Distinguishing features of Scalopodon include narrow frontal bones and a distinctive sagittal crest along the parietal region at the back of the skull. Scalopodon was originally classified in the family Scaloposauridae, and was the first scaloposaurid found in Russia. More recent studies of therocephalians have found scaloposaurids like Scalopodon to be juvenile forms of larger therocephalians and do not consider Scaloposauridae to be a valid group. Scalopodon and most other scaloposaurids are now classified as basal members of Baurioidea.
Karenites is an extinct genus of therocephalian therapsids from the Late Permian of Russia. The only species is Karenites ornamentatus, named in 1995. Several fossil specimens are known from the town of Kotelnich in Kirov Oblast.
Lycideops is an extinct genus of therocephalians from the Late Permian of South Africa. The type species is Lycideops longiceps, named in 1931 by South African paleontologist Robert Broom. Fossils of Lycideops come from the Dicynodon Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group. Lycideops is a member of the family Lycideopidae. Like other lycideopids, Lycideops has a long snout.
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.
Phthinosaurus is an extinct genus of therapsids from the Middle Permian of Russia. The type species Phthinosaurus borrisiaki was named by Soviet paleontologist Ivan Yefremov in 1940 on the basis of an isolated lower jaw. Because this jaw provides few distinguishing characteristics, the evolutionary relationships of Phthinosaurus are poorly known. Yefremov named the family Phthinosuchidae in 1954 to include Phthinosaurus and the newly named Phthinosuchus, which was described on the basis of a crushed partial skull. American paleontologist Everett C. Olson placed both of these therapsids in the larger infraorder Phthinosuchia in 1961. In 1974 Leonid Tatarinov named the family Phthinosauridae to include Phthinosaurus alone, retaining Phthinosuchus within Phthinosuchidae.
Leonid Petrovich Tatarinov was a Russian and Soviet paleontologist and evolutionary biologist. He was an Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1981) and Russian Academy of Sciences (1991), director of the Paleontological Institute and editor-in-chief of Paleontological journal. His research interests were in the comparative anatomy of vertebrates, tetrapod phylogeny, and evolution.
Itatodon is an extinct genus of primitive mammal known from the Bathonian aged Itat Formation of Russia. The genus is named after the formation, with the species being named after Leonid Petrovich Tatarinov who described the first docodont from Asia. It is known from a holotype right lower molar and referred isolated right lower molar and fragment of the left lower molar. When it was first described, it was thought to be a docodontan, but some recent phylogenetic studies have assigned it, along with its close relative Paritatodon to Shuotheriidae, while others continue to consider it a docodont.
