Chiniquodon Temporal range: Middle Triassic |
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Fossil of C. theotonicus in the Museum of Paleontology, Tuebingen | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Order: | Therapsida |
Suborder: | Cynodontia |
Family: | †Chiniquodontidae |
Genus: |
†Chiniquodon von Huene, 1936 |
Species | |
C. brasilensis |
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Synonyms | |
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C. brasilensis
C. kalanoro
C. sanjuanensis
C. theotonicus
Chiniquodon is a genus of carnivorous cynodont, which lived during the early Middle Triassic in South America. Chiniquodon is closely related to a contemporary genus, Probelesodon, and close to the ancestry of mammals.
Other contemporaries included early dinosaurs. As both groups filled a similar ecological niche, fairly large therapsid hunters such as Chiniquodon may have been outcompeted by dinosaurs.
Chiniquodon brasilensis is from the Paleontological Site Chiniquá, Santa Maria Formation, Brazil, in geopark of paleorrota. Age: Carnian, Upper Triassic Remarks: A dog-sized predator, with a skull-length of about 10 cm. This species may not have been formally published.
Chiniquodon sanjuanensis is from the Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina. Age: Carnian (Upper Triassic) This skull was reassigned to this genus in 2002. It's differentiated from Chiniquodon theotonicus because of its teeth and the shape of the zygomatic process.
Chiniquodon theotonicus Is from Santa Maria Formation and Chañares Formation, Brazil and Argentina. Carnian (Upper Triassic) This species is known from a number of skulls. The holotype is in the paleontological collection at Tübingen University, Germany.
Chiniquodon kalanoro is from the Makay Formation, Madagascar. Age: Ladinian/Carnian (Upper Triassic) This species is known from a mandible (holotype UA 10607).