''Syodon'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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. Dinocephal ...

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 were oriented mo ...

that lived approximately 267-260 million years ago during the middle

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleo ...

period of the

Paleozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ...

era. These therapsids, located in Russia were initially believed to be true mammals. ''Syodon'' was first named by Stephan Kutorga in 1838.Kutorga, S. S. 1838. ''Beitrag zur Kenntniss der organischen U ̈ berreste des Kupfersandsteins am Westlichen Abhange des Urals''. St Petersburg. Gretsch, 38 pp. The fossils of these

synapsids Synapsids + (, 'arch') > () "having a fused arch"; synonymous with ''theropsids'' (Greek, "beast-face") are one of the two major groups of animals that evolved from basal amniotes, the other being the sauropsids, the group that includes rept ...

were first discovered in the Molotov Province region of Russia in limestone beds with a high content of

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...

. However, scientists believe that these organisms likely come from higher rock beds due to increased specializations in their morphology.Olson, Everett C. "Catalogue of Localities of Permian and Triassic Terrestrial Vertebrates of the Territories of the USSR." ''The Journal of Geology'' 65.2 (1957): 196-226.

Etymology

The name ''Syodon'' is derived from Greek meaning pig's tooth. This name likely stemmed from the protruding canines similar to that of the lower canines of a wild boar.

Diet

''Syodon'' is characterized as a carnivore, likely feeding on small-bodied prey. They lack the ‘expansion of supraorbital bones over the orbits, which would act as a stress sink’ in certain hypercarniverous species such as

thalattosuchia Thalattosuchia is a clade of marine crocodylomorphs from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous that had a cosmopolitan distribution. They are colloquially referred to as marine crocodiles or sea crocodiles, though they are not members of Cro ...

n ''

Dakosaurus ''Dakosaurus'' is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph within the family Metriorhynchidae that lived during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. It was large, with teeth that were serrated and compressed lateromedially (flattened from side to ...

''. This thickened supraorbital regions also found in large

theropods Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally ca ...

would have alleviated cranial stress used for feeding on large prey.Young, M. T., Brusatte, S. L., Ruta, M. & Andrade, M. B. 2010. The evolution of Metriorhynchoidea (Mesoeu- crocodylia, Thalattosuchia): an integrated approach using geometric morphometrics, analysis of disparity, and biome- chanics. ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'', 158, 801–859. Since this adaption is not found in Syodon it is thought they were limited to small animals and prey which they could easily consume with their limited jaw architecture.

Paleobiology

''Syodon'' is characterized by possessing "bulbous" post-canines featuring significant wear facets in adults, whereas juveniles tend to have ‘bladelike’ post canines. The canine of ''Syodon'' is highly distinctive and allows it to be distinguished easily. They also possess a large, strongly curved ‘hook-like canine. Syodon also feature a set of smaller, replacement teeth out-of-place from the main palatine tooth row.Kammerer, Christian F. "Systematics of the Anteosauria (Therapsida: Dinocephalia)." Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 9.2 (2011): 261-304. The snout of ''Syodon'' is relatively long narrow compared to the rest of the body. The snout comprises approximately 1/4 the length of the skill. These synapsids reached 1.2 m (4 ft) in length.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q138403 Anteosaurs Prehistoric therapsid genera Extinct animals of Russia Fossil taxa described in 1838

Etymology

Diet

Paleobiology

See also

References