Scyllacerta

Scyllacerta Temporal range: Wuchiapingian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Family:	† Younginidae
Genus:	† Scyllacerta
Species:	†S. creanae
Binomial name
†Scyllacerta creanae Jenkins et al., 2026

Scyllacerta is an extinct genus of younginid neodiapsid that lived in what is now South Africa during the Wuchiapingian stage of the Lopingian epoch. From the Endothiodon Assemblage Zone of South Africa, it is the oldest known younginid and the oldest unambigous neodiapsid. It bears a tympanic fossa on the back of its skull, suggesting that middle ear of living reptiles was present in their Permian ancestors ^[1] .

Etymology

Scyllacerta is named after Scylla, a monster of Ancient Greek legend. The type species, Scyllacerta creanae, derives its specific epithet from the surname of Annelise Crean, the preparator who prepared the holotype specimen for description. ^[1]

References

1. Jenkins, Xavier A.; Buffa, Valentin; Marchant, Cy J.; Ford, David P.; Browning, Claire; Fernandez, Vincent; Dollman, Kathleen; Botha, Jennifer; Choiniere, Jonah N.; Benson, Roger B. J.; Peecook, Brandon R. (22 January 2026). "The origin of the tympanic fossa in reptiles revealed by a late Permian neodiapsid". Palaeontology . 69 (1) e70041. doi:10.1111/pala.70041. ISSN   0031-0239 . Retrieved 24 January 2026– via Wiley Online Library.