Caseidae
| Caseidae Temporal range: Late Carboniferous - Middle Permian, 300–263 Ma |
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| Fossil skeleton of Cotylorhynchus romeri | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | †Caseasauria |
| Family: |
†Caseidae Williston, 1912 |
| Genera | |
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Alierasaurus |
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Alierasaurus
Angelosaurus
Casea
Caseoides
Caseopsis
Cotylorhynchus
Ennatosaurus
Eocasea
Euromycter
Ruthenosaurus
Oromycter
?Phreatophasma
Trichasaurus
Datheosaurus
Callibrachion
Caseidae is an extinct family of synapsids from the Carboniferous and Permian period. It was a widespread group of very primitive herbivorous, possibly aquatic synapsids, which appeared during the late Carboniferous and persisted until the late middle Permian.
All caseids, whether modest or enormous, are characterized by small cervical vertebrae, bulky, barrel-shaped bodies and relatively massive limbs. Although ranging in size from 1–5.5 metres (3 ft 3 in–18 ft 1 in) in body length, caseids were surprisingly conservative in their skeletal anatomy and body proportions. All were large animals with small heads and barrel-like bodies. Some, like Angelosaurus and Cotylorhynchus, which exceeded 4 meters long and were the largest of the pelycosaurs, may have been aquatic foragers, relying on their paddle-like limbs to swim.
Recent studies on caseid ribs suggest that the animals may have been aquatic, and possibly possessed a diaphragm to assist their breathing. It was less efficient than that of their modern mammal relatives, being capable of limited costal ventilation. It likely relied on support from the animal's abdominal musculature.
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