''Dinodontosaurus'' (meaning "terrible-toothed lizard") is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
dicynodont
Dicynodontia is an extinct clade of anomodonts, an extinct type of non-mammalian therapsid. Dicynodonts were herbivorous animals with a pair of tusks, hence their name, which means 'two dog tooth'. Members of the group possessed a horny, typic ...
therapsid
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 were oriented more ...
. It was medium to large dicynodont of the
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...
(with skull up to long
) and had a beak corneum. It lived in the
Middle Triassic
In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassic period or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided in chronostratigraphy. The Middle Triassic spans the time between Ma and ...
but disappeared in the
Upper Triassic
The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch of the Triassic Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch and followed by the Early Jurassic Epoch. ...
.
Species
* ''Dinodontosaurus tener'' is the most common species of
dicynodont
Dicynodontia is an extinct clade of anomodonts, an extinct type of non-mammalian therapsid. Dicynodonts were herbivorous animals with a pair of tusks, hence their name, which means 'two dog tooth'. Members of the group possessed a horny, typic ...
that existed in the
Middle Triassic
In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassic period or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided in chronostratigraphy. The Middle Triassic spans the time between Ma and ...
, and more common in the fossil layers that age in
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
, in Rota Paleontológica. They are found mainly in the
Paleontological Site Chiniquá
The Palaeontological Site Chiniquá is located in the Brazilian municipality of São Pedro do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, along highway BR-287, about 70 kilometers west of the city of Santa Maria. The site occupies an area of about 250 hectares and ...
in
São Pedro do Sul and
Candelária, where a group of ten pups were found together, demonstrating that these animals had strategies for coexistence in a group and caring for their offspring. ''Diodontosaurus pedroanum'' Tupi-Caldas, 1936 and ''Dinodontosaurus oliveirai'',
Romer
A Reference Card or "Romer" is a device for increasing the accuracy when reading a grid reference from a map. Made from transparent plastic, paper or other materials, they are also found on most baseplate compasses. Essentially, it is a speciall ...
1943 are synonyms.
Paleobiology Database.
/ref>
* ''Dinodontosaurus brevirostris'' is known from remains found in Argentina. ''Chanaria platyceps'' Cox, 1968 and ''Dinodontosaurus platygnathus'' are synonyms.
Gallery
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134272
Anomodont genera
Kannemeyeriiformes
Middle Triassic synapsids of South America
Middle Triassic first appearances
Late Triassic extinctions
Late Triassic synapsids of South America
Triassic Argentina
Fossils of Argentina
Paraná Basin
Santa Maria Formation
Triassic Brazil
Fossils of Brazil
Fossil taxa described in 1943
Taxa named by Alfred Romer