Cynognathus crateronotus
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Cynognathus Temporal range: Middle Triassic, 247–237 Ma |
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| Fossil skull of Cynognathus crateronotus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Therapsida |
| Suborder: | Cynodontia |
| Family: |
†Cynognathidae Seeley, 1895 |
| Genus: |
†Cynognathus Seeley, 1895 |
| Type species | |
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†Cynognathus crateronotus Seeley, 1895 |
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Cynognathus is an extinct genus of large-bodied cynodont therapsids that lived in the Middle Triassic. It is known from a single species, Cynognathus crateronotus. Cynognathus was a 1.2 meter-longpredator closely related to mammals and had a southern hemispeheric distribution. Fossils have so far been recovered from South Africa, Argentina, Antarctica, and Namibia.
The genus Cynognathus (from Greek κυνόγναθος, meaning "dog jaw") has been given several different names over the years. It has also been known as Cistecynodon, Cynidiognathus, Cynogomphius, Karoomys, Lycaenognathus, Lycochampsa and Lycognathus. Cynognathus is the only recognized member of family Cynognathidae. Opinions vary as to whether all remains belong to the same species.
Species-level synonyms of Cynognathus crateronotus include Cistecynodon parvus, Cynidiognathus broomi, Cynidiognathus longiceps, Cynidiognathus merenskyi, Cynognathus beeryi, Cynognathus minor, Cynognathus platyceps, Cynogomphius berryi, Karoomys browni, Lycaenognathus platyceps, Lycochampsa ferox, Lycognathus ferox, and Nythosaurus browni.
The genera Karoomys and Cistecynodon are known only from tiny juveniles.
Cynognathus was a heavily built animal, and measured around 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) in snout-to-vent body length. It had a particularly large head, 30 centimetres (1 ft) in length, with wide jaws and sharp teeth. Its hind limbs were placed directly beneath the body, but the fore-limbs sprawled outwards in a reptilian fashion. This form of double (erect/sprawling) gait is also found in some primitive mammals alive today.
The dentary was equipped with differentiated teeth that show this animal could effectively process its food before swallowing. The presence of a secondary palate in the mouth indicates that Cynognathus would have been able to breathe and swallow simultaneously.
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Wikipedia