Varanosaurus

Varanosaurus ('monitor lizard') is an extinct genus of early ophiacodontid synapsid that lived during the Artinskian^[2] and Kungurian ages of the Permian.^[3]

Varanosaurus Temporal range: Early Permian, 290–273 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A reconstruction of Varanosaurus acutirostris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Family:	†Ophiacodontidae
Genus:	†Varanosaurus Broili, 1904
Type species
†Varanosaurus acutirostris Broili, 1904
Species[1]
†V. acutirostris Broili 1904 (type) †V. wichitaensis Romer 1937

Description

Varanosaurus acutirostris being devoured by Dimetrodon limbatus

As its name implies, Varanosaurus may have looked superficially similar to present-day monitor lizards^{[citation needed]}, though not related at all.

Varanosaurus had a flattened, elongated skull and a pointed snout with a row of sharp teeth, including two pairs of conspicuous pseudocanines, implying that it was an active predator.^[4]

Varanosaurus probably lived in swamps, competing with the larger Ophiacodon for food.^{[citation needed]}

Classification

Below is a cladogram modified from the analysis of Benson (2012):^[5]

	Tseajaia campi Limnoscelis paludis Amniota Captorhinus spp. Protorothyris archeri Synapsida Caseasauria Ianthodon schultzei Edaphosauridae Sphenacodontia Varanopidae Ophiacodontidae Archaeothyris florensis Varanosaurus acutirostris Ophiacodon spp. Stereophallodon ciscoensis

See also

• List of pelycosaurs