''Chiniquodon'' is an extinct genus of

carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...

cynodont The cynodonts () (clade Cynodontia) are a clade of eutheriodont therapsids that first appeared in the Late Permian (approximately 260 mya), and extensively diversified after the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Cynodonts had a wide variety ...

s, which lived during the Late Triassic ( Carnian) in South America ( Argentina and Brazil) and Africa ( Namibia and Madagascar). ''Chiniquodon'' was closely related to the genus ''

Aleodon ''Aleodon'' is an extinct genus of cynodonts that lived from the Middle to the Late Triassic. Relatively few analyses have been conducted to identify the phylogenetic placement of ''Aleodon'', however those that have place ''Aleodon'' as a siste ...

'', and close to the ancestry of mammals. Other contemporaries included early dinosaurs. As both groups filled a similar ecological niche, fairly large therapsid hunters such as ''Chiniquodon'' may have been outcompeted by dinosaurs.

Classification

''Chiniquodon theotonicus'', the type species, is from the Santa Maria Formation, Brazil and Chañares Formation, Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin, northwestern Argentina. This species is known from a number of skulls. The holotype is in the paleontological collection at Tübingen University, Germany. ''Chiniquodon sanjuanensis'' is from the Cancha de Bochas Member of the

Ischigualasto Formation The Ischigualasto Formation is a Late Triassic fossiliferous formation and Lagerstätte in the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin of the southwestern La Rioja Province and northeastern San Juan Province in northwestern Argentina. The formation da ...

Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin The Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin ( es, Cuenca de Ischigualasto-Villa Unión) is a small sedimentary basin located in the Argentine Northwest, Argentina. It is located in the southwestern part of La Rioja Province and the northeastern part of ...

, northwestern Argentina. It was originally assigned to the genus ''Probelesodon'', but was reassigned to this genus in 2002. It is differentiated from ''C. theotonicus'' because of its teeth and the shape of the zygomatic process. Chiniquodon kalanoro FMNH

''Chiniquodon kalanoro'' is from the

Isalo II Formation Isalo II, also known as the Makay Formation, is an informal Triassic geological unit in Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de ...

, Madagascar. This species is known from a mandible ( holotype UA 10607). ''Chiniquodon omaruruensis'' is from the

Omingonde Formation The Omingonde Formation is an Early Triassic, Early to Middle Triassic (Anisian to Ladinian) geologic Formation (geology), formation, part of the Karoo Supergroup, in the western Otjozondjupa Region and northeastern Erongo Region of north-central N ...

of Namibia. It is known from a single specimen (GSN F315), consisting of a complete skull and parts of the postcranial skeleton.

References

during the temporal transition) (Denwa-Molteno-Upper Triassic = Upper Carnian''). Results of the excavations in South Brazil 1928/29, part II.) 1936. Pages 93–159. {{Taxonbar, from=Q968198 Prehistoric probainognathians Prehistoric cynodont genera Carnian genera Triassic synapsids of Africa Late Triassic animals of Africa Fossils of Madagascar Triassic Madagascar Fossils of Namibia Omingonde Formation Late Triassic synapsids of South America Triassic Argentina Fossils of Argentina Chañares Formation Ischigualasto Formation Triassic Brazil Fossils of Brazil Santa Maria Formation Fossil taxa described in 1936 Taxa named by Friedrich von Huene

Classification

References

Further reading