Taognathus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Genus: | † Taognathus Broom, 1911 |
Taognathus is an extinct genus of dicynodont, a non-mammalian synapsid. Taognathus lived in South Africa during the Lopingian, and was named by Scottish South African doctor and paleontologist Robert Broom in 1911. Its diet was herbivorous.
Synapsida is a diverse group of tetrapod vertebrates that includes all mammals and their extinct relatives. It is one of the two major clades of the group Amniota, the other being the more diverse group Sauropsida. Unlike other amniotes, synapsids have a single temporal fenestra, an opening low in the skull roof behind each eye socket, leaving a bony arch beneath each; this accounts for the name "synapsid". The distinctive temporal fenestra developed about 318 million years ago during the Late Carboniferous period, when synapsids and sauropsids diverged, but was subsequently merged with the orbit in early mammals.
Therapsida is a clade comprising a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals and their ancestors and close 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, resulting in a more "standing" quadrupedal posture, as opposed to the lower sprawling posture of many reptiles and amphibians.
Cynodontia is a clade of eutheriodont therapsids that first appeared in the Late Permian, and extensively diversified after the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Mammals are cynodonts, as are their extinct ancestors and close relatives (Mammaliaformes), having evolved from advanced probainognathian cynodonts during the Late Triassic.
Diarthrognathus is an extinct genus of tritheledontid cynodonts, known from fossil evidence found in South Africa and first described in 1958 by A.W. Crompton. The creature lived during the Early Jurassic period, about 200 million years ago. It was carnivorous and small, slightly smaller than Thrinaxodon, which was under 50 centimetres (20 in) long.
Brachyprosopus is an extinct genus of dicynodont therapsid from the middle Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone in the Abrahamskraal Formation belonging to the Beaufort Group of the Karoo Basin, South Africa.
Bolotridon is an extinct genus of epicynodontian cynodont. It was renamed from its original genus designation of Tribolodon, which was already occupied by a genus of cyprinid fish named in 1883 by Sauvage. The name Bolotridon was coined by Brian W. Coad in a 1977 publication as an anagram of Tribolodon.
Compsodon is an extinct genus of dicynodont belonging to the superfamily Emydopoidea. Fossils have been found in the Balfour Formation of South Africa and the Madumabisa Mudstone of Zambia.
Colobodectes is an extinct genus of dicynodont therapsid from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone in the Abrahamskraal Formation, South Africa.
Cistecephaloides is an extinct genus of dicynodont therapsids of the Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone, Beaufort Group of South Africa.
Daptocephalus is an extinct genus of dicynodont synapsid, which was found in Late Permian strata, in a biozone known precisely for the presence of fossils of this dicynodont, the Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone, in the Karoo Basin in South Africa. An additional species, D. huenei, is known from the Usili Formation in Tanzania and was formerly assigned to the genus Dicynodon before a study in 2019 recognised that the type specimen belonged to Daptocephalus.
Ictidosuchoides is an extinct genus of ictidosuchid therocephalians. Fossils have been found from the Karoo Basin in South Africa. The genus is known to have been one of the few therocephalians to have survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event in this area, although its numbers were quite low after the extinction.
Ictidostoma is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsids known from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone.
Ictidognathus is an extinct genus of therocephalian therapsids that lived in South Africa during the Late Permian. Fossils are found in the Tropidostoma and Cistecephalus Assemblage Zones of the Beaufort Group in the Western Cape.
Lanthanostegus is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsids from the Capitanian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone, Koonap Formation of South Africa. The type and the only species is Lanthanostegus mohoii.
Pseudhipposaurus is an extinct genus of biarmosuchian therapsids from the Late Permian of South Africa.
Pristerodon is an extinct genus of dicynodont therapsid from the Late Permian of South Africa, Zambia and India.
Zorillodontops is an extinct genus of therocephalian therapsids from the Early Triassic of South Africa.
Watongia is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsids from Middle Permian of Oklahoma. Only one species has been described, Watongia meieri, from the Chickasha Formation. It was assigned to family Gorgonopsidae by Olson and to Eotitanosuchia by Carroll. Reisz and collaborators assigned the genus in Varanopidae. Based on comparisons of its vertebrae with other varanopids, it was the largest varanopid with a body length of approximately 2 metres. It was a contemporary of its closest relative, the much smaller Varanodon; the two may possibly represent growth stages of a single animal.
Viatkosuchus is an extinct genus of therocephalians known from the Late Capitanian–Wuchiapingian Deltavjatia Assemblage Zone.
Leontosaurus is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsids from the Dicynodon Assemblage Zone, Balfour Formation of South Africa. It contains the single species L. vanderhorsti.