Prehistoric Models: Therapsids

Therapsida is a large group of synapsids (formerly called “mammal like reptiles”) which include the ancestors of modern mammals. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates from the middle/late Permian to the early Triassic. The most well known of this group are the saber toothed Gorgonopsia (gorgons for short). 

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Clade: Neotherapsida – Clade: Theriodontia – Clade: Gorgonopsia

(“gorgons”)

Middle Permian to Late Permian

 

Genus: Lycaenops ‭”Wolf face‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Ly-can-ops.
Named By: Robert Broom‭ ‬-‭ ‬1925.
Species: L.‭ ‬ornatus‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬L. minor, L. ornatus, L. quadrata, L. sollasi, L. tenuirostris.
Classification: Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Clade: Gorgonopsia
Known locations: South Africa.
Time period: Permian (Wuchiapingian).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: 1‭ ‬meter long.
Genus: Dinogorgon ‭”Terrible Gorgon‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Dy-noe-gor-gon.
Named By: Robert Broom‭ – ‬1936.
Species: D.‭ ‬rubidgei‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬pricei,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬quinquemolaris.
Classification: Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Clade: Gorgonopsia
Known locations: Tanzania and South Africa.
Time period: Permian (Wuchiapingian).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: 2 meters long.
Genus: Inostrancevia ‭”After Aleksandr Inostrantsev‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: In-oh-stran-see-ve-ah.
Named By: Vladimir P.‭ ‬Amalitsky‭ ‬-‭ ‬1922.
Species: I.‭ ‬alexandri‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬I.‭ ‬latifrons,‭ ‬I.‭ ‬uralensis.
Classification: Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Clade: Gorgonopsia
Known locations: Russia.
Time period: Permian (Wuchiapingian).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: 3.5‭ ‬meters long.‭

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Clade: Eutheriodontia – Suborder: Therocephalia – Family: Trochosuchidae

(lycosuchidae)

Middle Permian

 

Genus: Trochosaurus.
Genus pronounced: Tro-ko-sore-us.
Named By: Haughton‭ ‬1915.
Species: T.‭ ‬acutus‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Classification: Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Family: Trochosuchidae.
Known locations: South Africa.
Time period: Permian.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Unavailable.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Clade: Eutheriodontia – Clade: Cynodontia – Clade: Cynognathia – Family: Cynognathidae

(cynognathians “dog jaw”)

Early to late Triassic

 

Genus: Cynognathus “Dog jaw‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Sy-noe-nay-fuss.
Named By: Harry Govier Seeley‭ ‬-‭ ‬1895.
Species: C.‭ ‬crateronotus‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬seeleyi.
Classification: Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Family Cynognathia
Known locations: Antarctica,‭ ‬Argentina,‭ ‬China,‭ ‬South Africa.
Time period: Triassic (Anisian).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: 1‭ ‬meter long.
Genus: Cynognathus “Dog jaw‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Sy-noe-nay-fuss.
Named By: Harry Govier Seeley‭ ‬-‭ ‬1895.
Species: C.‭ ‬crateronotus‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬seeleyi.
Classification: Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Family Cynognathia
Known locations: Antarctica,‭ ‬Argentina,‭ ‬China,‭ ‬South Africa.
Time period: Triassic (Anisian).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: 1‭ ‬meter long.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Suborder: Anomodontia – Clade: Chainosauria – Clade: Dicynodontia

(dicynodonts “two dog tooth”)

Middle Permian to Late Triassic

 

Genus: Dicynodon ‭”‬Two dog teeth‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Die-cy-no-don.
Named By: Richard Owen‭ ‬-‭ ‬1845.
Classification: Family: Dicynodontidae.
Species: D.‭ ‬lacerticeps‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬D. angielczyki, D.‭ ‬bolorhinus,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬leoniceps,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬leontops,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬lissops,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬osborni,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬plateceps,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬trautscholdi,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬whaitsi.
Known locations: China,‭ ‬Russia,‭ ‬South Africa,‭ ‬Tanzania.
Time period: Late Permian (Changhsingian).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Average‭ ‬1.2‭ ‬meters long,‭ ‬but some variation between species.
Genus: Placerias “Broad body”.
Genus pronounced: Plah-see-ree-ass.
Named By: Lucas – 1904.
Classification: Family: Kannemeyeriidae.
Species: P. gigas, P. gigus, P. hesternus.
Known locations: USA, Arizona.
Time period: Triassic (Carnian to Norian).
Type: Herbivore.
Size: Up to 3.5 meters long.
Genus: Kannemeyeria ‭”‬From Kanne‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Kan-eh-my-air-ee-ah.
Named By: Harry Govier Seeley‭ ‬-‭ ‬1908.
Classification: Family:‭ ‬Kannemeyeriidae.
Species: K. simocephalus (type), K. aganosteus, K. lophorhinus.
Known locations: Africa,‭ ‬Asia,‭ ‬India,‭ ‬South America.
Time period: Triassic (Olenekian to Anisian).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: 3‭ ‬meters long.
Genus: Lystrosaurus‭ “‬Shovel lizard‭”.
Genus pronounced: Liss-tro-sore-us.
Named By: Edward Drinker Cope‭ ‬-‭ ‬1870.
Classification: Family: ‬Lystrosauridae.
Species: L.‭ ‬murrayi‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬declivus,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬curvatus,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬maccaigi,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬georgi.
Known locations: Widespread across southern continents with the main concentration of remains found in South Africa.‭ ‬Other specimens have been recovered from Antarctica,‭ ‬China,‭ ‬India,‭ ‬Mongolia and Russia.
Time period: Late Permian to the Early Triassic.
Type: Herbivore.
Size: Between 0.6 and 2.5 meters long depending upon the species. Average about 0.9 meters long.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Clade: Synapsida – Clade: Therapsida – Suborder: Dinocephalia

(dinocephalians “terrible heads”)

Early to Middle Permian

 

Genus: Estemmenosuchus ‭”‬Crowned crocodile‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Ess-teh-men-oh-soo-kuss.
Named By: Chudinov‭ ‬-‭ ‬1960.‭
Classification: Clade: ‬Synapsida – Clade: ‬Therapsida – Suborder: Dinocephalia‭ – Family: Estemmenosuchidae.
Species: E.‭ ‬uralensis, (type)‭ ‬E.‭ ‬mirabilis.
Known locations: Russia,‭ ‬Perm region.
Time period: Permian (Wordian).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: E. uralensis about 4.5 meters long, E. mirabilis about 3 meters long.
Genus: Moschops‭ “Calf face‭”‬.
Genus pronounced: Moe-shops.
Named By: Robert Broom‬-‭ ‬1911.‭
Classification: Clade: ‬Synapsida – Clade: ‬Therapsida – Suborder: Dinocephalia‭ – Infraorder: Tapinocephalia – Family: Tapinocephalidae.
Species: M.‭ capensisu, (type).
Known locations: South Africa – Karoo.
Time period: Permian (Wordian to Capitanisan).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: 2.7 meters long.

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