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Tapinocephalidae
Tapinocephalidae was an advanced family of tapinocephalians. It is defined as the clade containing ''Ulemosaurus'', '' Tapinocaninus'', and the Tapinocephalinae. They are known from both Russia and South Africa. In all probability, the Tapinocephalidae had a worldwide (Pangean) distribution. They flourished briefly during the Wordian and Capitanian ages, radiating into several lineages, existing simultaneously, and differing mainly in details of the skull and, to an even lesser degree, the skeleton. It is not clear how such similar animals could each find their own ecological niche, but such was obviously the case. There is a parallel here with the hadrosaur and ceratopsian dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous. The cause of their abrupt extinction is not clear, since other smaller animals, and even the pareiasaurs, were not affected. Quite probably, like the extinction of the late Pleistocene megafauna, a number of factors were involved. Description The body is deep and capacious, al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tapinocephalidae - Moschops Capensis
Tapinocephalidae was an advanced family (biology), family of tapinocephalians. It is defined as the clade containing ''Ulemosaurus'', ''Tapinocaninus'', and the Tapinocephalinae. They are known from both Russia and South Africa. In all probability, the Tapinocephalidae had a worldwide (Pangean) distribution. They flourished briefly during the Wordian and Capitanian ages, radiating into several lineages, existing simultaneously, and differing mainly in details of the skull and, to an even lesser degree, the skeleton. It is not clear how such similar animals could each find their own ecological niche, but such was obviously the case. There is a parallel here with the hadrosaur and ceratopsian dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous. The cause of their abrupt extinction is not clear, since other smaller animals, and even the pareiasaurs, were not affected. Quite probably, like the extinction of the late Pleistocene megafauna, a number of factors were involved. Description The body is deep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ulemosaurus22DB
''Ulemosaurus'' is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsids that lived 265 to 260 million years ago, at Isheevo in Russian Tatarstan. It was a tapinocephalid, a group of bulky herbivores which flourished in the Middle Permian. ''Ulemosaurus'' and other tapinocephalians disappeared at the end of the Middle Permian. Description Only several partial skeletons and skulls have been found. The skull bones are extremely dense: about at its thickest. This thickening is possibly related to head-butting behavior, as some researchers suggest. The species is considered a herbivore, but because the mandible is heavily constructed some palaeontologists consider it a carnivore, with the species being able to use muscle power to cut prey up with its incisors. Classification ''Ulemosaurus'' is a large ''Moschops''-like form from Russia; it is probably similar enough to be included as a separate species of ''Moschops''. Despite its advanced characteristics, it lived slightly before the Karoo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ulemosaurus
''Ulemosaurus'' is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsids that lived 265 to 260 million years ago, at Isheevo in Russian Tatarstan. It was a tapinocephalid, a group of bulky herbivores which flourished in the Middle Permian. ''Ulemosaurus'' and other tapinocephalians disappeared at the end of the Middle Permian. Description Only several partial skeletons and skulls have been found. The skull bones are extremely dense: about at its thickest. This thickening is possibly related to head-butting behavior, as some researchers suggest. The species is considered a herbivore, but because the mandible is heavily constructed some palaeontologists consider it a carnivore, with the species being able to use muscle power to cut prey up with its incisors. Classification ''Ulemosaurus'' is a large ''Moschops''-like form from Russia; it is probably similar enough to be included as a separate species of ''Moschops''. Despite its advanced characteristics, it lived slightly before the Karoo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tapinocaninus
''Tapinocaninus'' is an extinct genus of therapsids in the family Tapinocephalidae, of which it is the most basal member. Only one species is known, ''Tapinocaninus pamelae'' (meaning "Pam's humble canine"). Fossils have been found dating from the Middle Permian (Wordian age). Description This species is known from several skulls. It was a large animal, reaching up to in body mass. It is assumed to be either a herbivore or an omnivore. This dinocephalian has a heterodont dentition, consisting of incisors, canines and postcanines. Its canine teeth lack a definite crushing heel. The maxillary and premaxillary dentition is only partially preserved. The species is named in honour of Rubidge's mother. Discovery Fossils have been found in the Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone The ''Eodicynodon'' Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone which correlates to the Abrahamskraal Formation, Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a fossiliferous and geologically important geo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinocephalians
Dinocephalians (terrible heads) are a clade of large-bodied early therapsids that flourished in the Early and Middle Permian between 279.5 and 260 million years ago (Ma), but became extinct during the Capitanian mass extinction event. Dinocephalians included herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous forms. Many species had thickened skulls with many knobs and bony projections. Dinocephalians were the first non-mammalian therapsids to be scientifically described and their fossils are known from Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. Description Apart from the Biarmosuchians, the dinocephalians are the least advanced therapsids, although still uniquely specialised in their own way. They retain a number of primitive characteristics (e.g. no secondary palate, small dentary) shared with their pelycosaur ancestors, although they are also more advanced in possessing therapsid adaptations like the expansion of the ilium and more erect limbs. They include carnivoro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riebeeckosaurus
''Riebeeckosaurus'' is an extinct genus of tapinocephalian therapsids from the Guadalupian epoch of Middle Tapinocephalus Zone, lower Beaufort Beds of the Karoo, in South Africa. Only two skulls are known from the type genus. It was a herbivorous, medium-sized ( in length, in mass) dinocephalian, with a very long, slender snout and a narrow intertemporal region with a narrow sagittal crest. See also * List of therapsids This list of therapsids is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the Therapsida excluding mammals and purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera tha ... References The main groups of non-mammalian synapsids at Mikko's Phylogeny Archive External links at Kheper Tapinocephalians Prehistoric therapsid genera Guadalupian synapsids of Africa Fossil taxa described in 1952 Taxa named by Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra {{Paleo-therapsid-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Criocephalosaurus
''Criocephalosaurus'' is an extinct genus of tapinocephalian therapsids which existed in Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of .... It was originally named ''Criocephalus'', but the name was preoccupied by a beetle genus. There are two named species, ''C. vanderbyli'' and ''C. gunyankaensis'': the range of the latter may have been farther north than that of ''C. vanderbyli''. Boonstra (1963) considers this taxon the most specialized of the moschopines. Description These animals were in length and in mass. ''Criocephalosaurus'' is known from at least half a dozen skulls are now known. The intertemporal region is very broad and the cranial roof greatly thickened by pachyostosis. References External links Tapinocephalidaeat Kheper Tapinocephalians ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moschops
''Moschops'' (Greek for "calf face") is an extinct genus of therapsids that lived in the Guadalupian epoch, around 265–260 million years ago. They were heavily built plant eaters, and they may have lived partly in water, as hippopotamuses do. They had short, thick heads and might have competed by head-butting each other. Their elbow joints allowed them to walk with a more mammal-like gait rather than crawling. Their remains were found in the Karoo region of South Africa, belonging to the ''Tapinocephalus'' Assemblage Zone. Therapsids, such as ''Moschops'', are synapsids, the dominant land animals in the Permian period, which ended 252 million years ago. Description ''Moschops'' were heavy set dinocephalian synapsids, measuring in length, and weighing on average and in maximum body mass. They had small heads with broad orbits and heavily-built short necks. Like other members of Tapinocephalidae, the skull had a tiny opening for the pineal organ. The occiput was broad and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tapinocephalia
The Tapinocephalia are one of the major groups of dinocephalian therapsids and the major herbivorous group. Tapinocephalia has been found to consist of three clades: Styracocephalidae, Titanosuchidae, and the very successful Tapinocephalidae. Notable tapinocephalians include ''Moschops'', ''Tapinocephalus'', and ''Titanosuchus''. Description Unlike anteosaurs and estemmenosuchids, tapinocephalians are primarily an African group. The estemmenosuchids and pareiasaurs may have occupied this paleo-bovine niche in the north. Only one tapinocephalian, ''Ulemosaurus'', is known from Russia. Earlier tapinocephalians were carnivorous or omnivorous. One such group was Titanosuchidae, which consisted of long-tailed predators that hunted herbivorous therapsids Therapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origin within early therapsids, including limbs that wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinocephalian
Dinocephalians (terrible heads) are a clade of large-bodied early therapsids that flourished in the Early and Middle Permian between 279.5 and 260 million years ago (Ma), but became extinct during the Capitanian mass extinction event. Dinocephalians included herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous forms. Many species had thickened skulls with many knobs and bony projections. Dinocephalians were the first non-mammalian therapsids to be scientifically described and their fossils are known from Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. Description Apart from the Biarmosuchians, the dinocephalians are the least advanced therapsids, although still uniquely specialised in their own way. They retain a number of primitive characteristics (e.g. no secondary palate, small dentary) shared with their pelycosaur ancestors, although they are also more advanced in possessing therapsid adaptations like the expansion of the ilium and more erect limbs. They include carniv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Struthiocephalus
''Struthiocephalus'' ("Ostrich Head") is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsids from the Permian of South Africa. It was a large animal, reaching in body mass. Ecology This animal has the largest head of any tapinocephalid. Brink (1956) suggests that ''Struthiocephalus'' fed in or near water, the teeth being used for rooting up, gathering and grasping plant matter. Boonstra (1965) likewise considered that ''Struthiocephalus'' fed on soft vegetation, possibly under water. He suggested the postcranial skeleton possibly showed adaptations to living in marshy conditions, and the bone surface around the nostril might indicate the presence of a fleshy valve present used for closing off the nostril under water. Classification The long-snouted ''Struthiocephalus whaitsi'' would seem to be the only genus and species of this taxon. There are a large number of synonyms. ''Struthiocephalellus'' is apparently a juvenile of ''Struthiocephalus''. Boonstra showed that the seven named sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keratocephalus
''Keratocephalus'' ("horned head") is an extinct genus of tapinocephalian therapsids from the early Capitanian age of South Africa. It was found in the Lower and Middle ''Tapinocephalus'' Assemblage Zone of the Karoo deposits, in the Lower Beaufort Beds in Beaufort West Description It was long, with long skull and had a mass of with a variable snout length, variable pachyostosis Pachyostosis is a non-pathological condition in vertebrate animals in which the bones experience a thickening, generally caused by extra layers of lamellar bone. It often occurs together with bone densification (osteosclerosis), reducing inner ca ... with a nasofrontal boss raised into a horn-like shape. Classification ''Keratocephalus moloch'', known from a number of greatly variable skulls, along with postcrania, from the Lower and Middle Tapinocephalus zone, shows considerable variability in the pachyostotic development. It may be not as derived as ''Tapinocephalus''. The naso-frontal boss ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
