Galesauridae
| Galesauridae Temporal range: Late Permian to Middle Triassic |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Therapsida |
| Suborder: | Cynodontia |
| Clade: | Epicynodontia |
| Family: | †Galesauridae |
| Genera | |
Galesauridae is a family of Therapsid reptiles. Along with the family Thrinaxodontidae and the large clade Eucynodontia (which includes the mammals), it makes up the unranked taxon called Epicynodontia. Galesaurids first appeared in the very latest Permian period, just a million years (or perhaps only a thousand years) before the greatest extinction of all time, the Permian-Triassic extinction event.
Galesaurids are the most primitive of the epicynodonts. They may have resembled the basal cynodonts, such as the procynosuchids and may have descended from a procynosuchid-like ancestor, but the galesaurids were more advanced than the basal cynodonts. It is clear that, like many other epicynodonts, many galesaurids had a complete secondary palate, which allowed them to swallow food while breathing, and the dentary bone was enlarged relative to those of their ancestors. Their temporal fenestrae are much larger than those of the procynosuchids, but not as large as in more advanced epicynodonts. Their snouts are broad, rather than tall, and they may have walked erect, with the legs beneath the body like most other cynodonts.
Galesaurid fossils are found almost worldwide. They were among the survivors of the Permian-Triassic extinction event, but they became extinct in the Middle Triassic epoch, as did the therocephalians. Genera of the family Galesauridae include the namesake Galesaurus.
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