Moschorhinus

Moschorhinus is an extinctgenus of therocephaliansynapsid in the familyAkidnognathidae with only one species: M. kitchingi, which has been found in the Late Permian to Early Triassic of the South African Karoo Supergroup. It was a large carnivorous therapsid, reaching 1.1–1.5 metres (3.6–4.9 ft) in total body length with the largest skull comparable to that of a lion in size, and had a broad, blunt snout which bore long, straight canines. These adaptations suggested it hunted much like a felid and was likely an apex predator.

While most abundant in the Late Permian, it survived into the Early Triassic in small numbers after the Late Permian Extinction, though these Triassic survivors had stunted growth. Following the extinction event, Moschorhinus ecologically replaced the gorgonopsians as the largest predator in the assemblage prior to the arrival of archosauriforms. Following its extinction, the large synapsid carnivore niche was later filled by cynodonts.