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Impidens
''Impidens'' is an extinct genus of large omnivorous cynodont from the Triassic of South Africa and Antarctica. Its type and only species is ''Impidens hancoxi''. ''Impidens'' inhabited high-latitude environments of southern Gondwana during the Middle Triassic, where it was probably the apex predator. History A specimen of ''Impidens'' was collected from Antarctica in 1986. In 1995, it was described as an indeterminate diademodontid possibly belonging to '' Titanogomphodon''. The holotype of ''Impidens hancoxi'' was found in South Africa in 2014. It was described as a new species in 2021, with the Antarctic specimen and a less complete specimen from South Africa being referred to the species. Description ''Impidens'' was one of the largest non-mammalian cynodonts, with a skull well over long, though the herbivorous '' Scalenodontoides'' from the Late Triassic was even larger. Classification ''Impidens'' is a member of Trirachodontidae, a family of gomphodont cynodonts. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ufudocyclops
''Ufudocyclops'' is an extinct genus of stahleckeriid dicynodont from the Middle Triassic of South Africa. It was found in the Burgersdorp Formation, part of the uppermost ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group in the Karoo Basin. The type and only known species is ''U. mukanelai''. It was a large, beaked herbivore like other Triassic dicynodonts, lacking tusks, and is mostly characterised by unique features of the skull. It is known from three specimens, two of which were previously referred to the Tanzanian dicynodont ''Angonisaurus''. The separation of ''Ufudocyclops'' from ''Angonisaurus'' indicates that the Middle Triassic fauna of the Beaufort Group in South Africa was not part of a larger shared fauna with those of the Manda Beds in Tanzania, as was previously supposed, and suggests that they were separated as more localised faunas, possibly by geographic barriers or in time. ''Ufudocyclops'' then would have been a unique part of the uppermost ''Cynognathus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fremouw Formation
The Fremouw Formation is a Triassic-age rock formation in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. It contains the oldest known fossils of tetrapods from Antarctica, including synapsids, reptiles and amphibians. Fossilized trees have also been found. The formation's beds were deposited along the banks of rivers and on floodplains. During the Triassic, the area would have been a riparian forest at 70–75°S latitude. Stratigraphy The Fremouw Formation is mostly Triassic in age, with the oldest rocks dating back to the latest Permian. Much of the formation is quartzose sandstone that was deposited in stream beds. It overlies the Permian Buckley Formation, which consists of coal and ''Glossopteris'' fossils. The formation is informally divided into lower, middle, and upper units. Most fossils are found in the Lower Fremouw Formation. Here, bones are preserved in fine grained siltstones and mudstones, coarse grained channel sandstones, and conglomerates. Paleoenvironment W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cynognathus Assemblage Zone
The ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod biozone utilized in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. It is equivalent to the Burgersdorp Formation, the youngest lithostratigraphic formation in the Beaufort Group, which is part of the fossiliferous and geologically important Karoo Supergroup. The '' Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone is the youngest of the eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group, and is considered to be late Early Triassic (Olenekian) to early Middle Triassic (Anisian) in age (around 247 Ma). The name of the biozone refers to '' Cynognathus crateronotus'', a large and carnivorous cynodont therapsid which occurs throughout the entire biozone. History The first fossils to be found in the Beaufort Group rocks that encompass the current eight biozones were discovered by Andrew Geddes Bain in 1856. However, it was not until 1892 that it was observed that the geological strata of the Beaufort Group could be differentiated based on their fossil taxa. The initial undert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2021 In Paleontology
Flora Plants Fungi New taxa Research * Exceptionally preserved specimens of ''Tawuia'', providing new information on the anatomy of this organism, are described from the Tonian Liulaobei and Shiwangzhuang formations (China) by Tang ''et al.'' (2021), who interpret ''Tawuia'' as a coenocytic eukaryote, possibly a macroalga. * Microfossils which may represent early terrestrial fungi are described from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation (China) by Gan ''et al.'' (2021). * A Rhynie chert fossil '' Mycokidstonia sphaerialoides'', originally interpreted as an ascomycete, is reclassified as a member of Glomeromycota belonging to the family Ambisporaceae by Walker ''et al.'' (2021). * Carboniferous organism '' Oochytrium lepidodendri'', originally classified as a fungus, is reinterpreted as an oomycete by Strullu-Derrien ''et al.'' (2021). * Probable fossils of multicellular eukaryotic macroalgae (possibly with a green algal affinity) are described from the Tonian Dolores Creek ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Titanogomphodon
''Titanogomphodon'' is an extinct genus of diademodontid cynodonts from the Middle Triassic Omingonde Formation of Namibia. It is known from a single partial skull that was described in 1973 from the Omingonde Formation. The type and only species is ''Titanogomphodon crassus''. At about , the skull of ''Titanogomphodon'' was significantly larger than that of its closest relative, '' Diademodon'' (hundreds of skulls of ''Diademodon'' are known and none exceed in length). Its teeth are similar to those of another group of cynodonts called Traversodontidae, but the similarities are likely the result of convergent evolution. Aside from its larger size, ''Titanogomphodon'' differs from ''Diademodon'' in having a bony projection on the postorbital bar behind the eye socket. Diet Like ''Diademodon'', ''Titanogomphodon'' was probably herbivorous. It is part of a very diverse fossil assemblage in the Omingonde Formation that includes several other types of cynodonts, including ''Diade ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diademodontid
Diademodontidae is an extinct family of Triassic gomphodonts. The best-known genus is ''Diademodon'' from South Africa. '' Titanogomphodon'' from Namibia may also be a member of Diademodontidae. The Chinese genera ''Hazhenia'' and ''Ordosiodon'' have also been included in the family, but were more recently identified as baurioid therocephalians. Remains of a diademodontid were reported in the Early-Middle Triassic Fremouw Formation in Antarctica, but that specimen was later referred to the trirachodontid ''Impidens ''Impidens'' is an extinct genus of large omnivorous cynodont from the Triassic of South Africa and Antarctica. Its type and only species is ''Impidens hancoxi''. ''Impidens'' inhabited high-latitude environments of southern Gondwana during the ...'' References Cynognathians Early Triassic first appearances Late Triassic extinctions Prehistoric therapsid families {{paleo-therapsid-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trirachodontidae
Trirachodontidae is an extinct, possibly paraphyletic family of cynognathian cynodonts from the Triassic of China and southern Africa. Trirachodontids appeared during the Early Triassic soon after the Permian-Triassic extinction event and quickly spread over a wide geographic area in a comparatively brief amount of time from 250 to 237 million years ago. Trirachodontids have wide skulls and short, narrow snouts. Two large holes called temporal fenestrae run along the back of the head and have a uniformly large width. Trirachodontids also have two large canine teeth and smaller cusped postcanines. Most of the features that distinguish trirachodonts from other cynodonts are found in their dentition. Trirachodontids lived in semi-arid environments with seasonal rainfall. The bone structure of trirachodontids suggests that they grew quickly in seasons with high rainfall and slowly in less favorable seasons. One trirachodontid, '' Trirachodon'', has been found in association with com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trirachodon
''Trirachodon'' (Greek: "three ridge tooth") is an extinct genus of cynodonts. Fossils have been found in the ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group in South Africa and the Omingonde Formation of Namibia, dating back to the Early and Middle Triassic. Description The skull of ''Trirachodon'' had a short, narrow snout with a wide orbital region. The zygomatic arches were relatively slender. ''Trirachodon'' was quite small for a cynodont, growing no larger than 50 cm in length. It had noticeably less molariform teeth than its closely related contemporary ''Diademodon''. These teeth tended to be transversely broader than ''Diademodon'' as well. A bony secondary palate and precise postcanine tooth occlusion are seen as derived characteristics in ''Trirachodon'' that are similar to those of mammals. Species The type species is ''T. berryi'', named in 1895 on the basis of a single cranial skeleton. Three other specimens were later referred to ''T. kannemeyeri'', wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Traversodontidae
Traversodontidae is an extinct family of herbivorous cynodonts. Traversodonts were primarily Gondwanan, with many species known from Africa and South America. Recently, traversodonts have also been found from Europe and eastern North America. Traversodonts first appeared in the Middle Triassic and diversified in the Late Triassic before going extinct at the end of the epoch. The family Traversodontidae was erected by Friedrich von Huene in 1936 for cynodonts first found in São Pedro do Sul in Paleorrota, Brazil. Description Traversodonts are members of Gomphodontia, a group of herbivorous cynognathian cynodonts. As an adaptation toward eating plants, they have wide postcanine teeth behind large canines. These postcanines are closely spaced with their crowns touching each other. Each is usually wider than it is long and is covered in several cusps. Because of their complexity, postcanine teeth are the primary means of identifying and distinguishing different species of traverso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anisian
In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from million years ago until million years ago. The Anisian Age succeeds the Olenekian Age (part of the Lower Triassic Epoch) and precedes the Ladinian Age. Stratigraphic definitions The stage and its name were established by Austrian geologists Wilhelm Heinrich Waagen and Carl Diener in 1895. The name comes from ''Anisus'', the Latin name of the river Enns. The original type locality is at Großreifling in the Austrian state of Styria. The base of the Anisian Stage (also the base of the Middle Triassic series) is sometimes laid at the first appearance of conodont species '' Chiosella timorensis'' in the stratigraphic record. Other stratigraphers prefer to use the base of magnetic chronozone MT1n. There is no accepted global reference profile for the base, but one ( GSSP or golden spike) was proposed at a flank of the mountain Deşli Caira in the Roman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beaufort Group
The Beaufort Group is the third of the main subdivisions of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. It is composed of a lower Adelaide Subgroup and an upper Tarkastad Subgroup. It follows conformably after the Ecca Group and unconformably underlies the Stormberg Group. Based on stratigraphic position, lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations, palynological analyses, and other means of geological dating, the Beaufort Group rocks are considered to range between Middle Permian (Wordian) to Early Triassic (Anisian) in age. Background During the period when sedimentation of the Beaufort Group rocks took place, the Ecca sea had retreated to the northeastern Karoo Basin. All sediment deposition at this time took place in a terrestrial, although in a predominantly fluvial or alluvial environment that was seasonally arid. This environment covered a vast area and deposition was influenced by a retroarc foreland basin. This foreland system was caused by crustal uplift (oro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southern subregion of a single continent called America. South America is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. The continent generally includes twelve sovereign states: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela; two dependent territories: the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; and one internal territory: French Guiana. In addition, the ABC islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ascension Island (dependency of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory), Bouvet Island ( dependency of Norway), Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
