Euchambersia mirabilis
|
Euchambersia Temporal range: Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone (Wuchiapingian), 256–255 Ma |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| CT scans of the skulls belonging to the type (right) and second (left) specimens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Therapsida |
| Suborder: | †Therocephalia |
| Family: | †Akidnognathidae |
| Genus: |
†Euchambersia Broom, 1931 |
| Type species | |
|
†Euchambersia mirabilis Broom, 1931 |
|
Euchambersia is a genus of therocephalian therapsid that lived during the Late Permian, approximately 255 million years ago, in what is now South Africa. The genus contains a single species, E. mirabilis, named by paleontologist Robert Broom in 1931 from a skull missing the lower jaws; a second skull, belonging to an immature individual, was later described. It is a member of the family Akidnognathidae, which historically has also been referred by as the synonymous Euchambersiidae (named after Euchambersia).
Euchambersia was a small and short-snouted therocephalian, possessing large canines as is typical of the group. However, it is notable among therocephalians for possessing ridges on its canines and a large indentation in the side of the skull. Under the erroneous assumption that the canines are grooved instead of ridged, it has been proposed that these structures supported a venom delivery mechanism. More recently, the internal structure of the skull of Euchambersia has been used as stronger evidence in favour of the hypothesis that it was venomous; other possibilities, such as the indentation supporting some sort of sensory organ, still remain plausible.
Euchambersia is small and short-snouted for a therocephalian, with the type skull having a reconstructed length of approximately 116 millimetres (4.6 in), accounting for crushing and deformation in the fossil. The second known skull belongs to a smaller individual, with a length of 80 millimetres (3.1 in); it was probably immature, judging by the lack of fusion in the skull.
According to the initial description, the eye socket of Euchambersia is rather small. The branches of the postorbital and jugal that usually surround the back and bottom of the eye socket in therocephalians appear to be either very reduced or absent entirely. Meanwhile, the top of the eye socket is formed by the prefrontal, and the frontal is also small. The skull does not bear a pineal foramen. Like Whaitsia, the pterygoid and palatine of the palate are not separated from the transpalatine, further to the side of the jaw, by any sort of opening.
...
Wikipedia