Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Pristerognathus

Extinct genus of therapsid from the Middle Permian of South Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pristerognathus
Remove ads

Pristerognathus is an extinct genus of therocephalian, known from the late Middle Permian (Capitanian) of South Africa.[2] It lends its name to the now defunct Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group of South African geological strata (now mostly equivalent to the lower Endothiodon Assemblage Zone).[3] Pristerognathus was a medium-sized therocephalian with a 25 cm (9.8 in) skull and a total length up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).[4]

Thumb
Skull in Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin

Quick Facts Pristerognathus Temporal range: Middle Permian, Scientific classification ...

These animals were roughly dog-sized, and are characterized by long, narrow skulls with large canines. They are likely to have lived in woodlands, and preyed on smaller therapsids and millerettids of the time.[5]

Pristerognathus was described in 1895 by Harry Seeley who named the type species Pristerognathus polyodon. Many other species were named in the years following, such as P. baini, P. minor, and P. vanderbyli, however, they have all since been recognised as referable to other species (such as Glanosuchus and Pristerognathoides) or are too dubious to determine. As such, P. polyodon is the only definitive species of Pristerognathus.[2]

Remove ads

See also

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads