Tapinocaninus

Tapinocaninus
Temporal range: Wordian
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Order: Therapsida
Suborder: †Dinocephalia
Family: †Tapinocephalidae
Genus: †Tapinocaninus
Rubidge, 1991
Binomial name
Tapinocaninus pamelae

Tapinocaninus is an extinct genus of the family Tapinocephalidae, in which it is the most basal member. Only one species is known, Tapinocaninus pamelae (meaning "Pam's humble canine").Living during the middle Permian (Wordian age).

Description

It grew up to 3 metres (120 in) long, and massed up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). It is assumed to be either a herbivore or an omnivore. This dinocephalian has a heterodont dentition, consisting of incisors, canines and postcanines. It's canine teeth lack a definite crushing heel. The maxillary and premaxillary dentition is only partially preserved.

Discovery

Fossils have been found in the Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone of the Karoo deposits, in the Lower Beaufort Beds in Beaufort West, by the director of the BPI, Professor Bruce Rubidge.Four specimen are known. A holotype (NMQR 2987) and three paratypes (NMQR 2985, 2986 and ROZ K95). All of them are known from skull and mandible bones.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Rubidge, 1991, "A new primitive dinocephalian mammal-like reptile from the Permian of southern Africa"


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