A new large gomphodont from the Triassic of South Africa and its implications for Gondwanan biostratigraphy

• Published in: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
• Main Authors: Tolchard, Frederick, Kammerer, Christian F., Butler, Richard J., Hendrickx, Christophe, Benoit, Julien, Abdala, Nestor Fernando, Choiniere, Jonah N.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
• Subjects: GOMPHODONTIA; CYNOGNATHUS ASSEMBLAGE ZONE; TRIASSIC; SOUTH AFRICA; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Argentina; Tucumán; Nestor; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/147732

A partial skull (BP/1/7976) of a very large cynodont from the Middle Triassic Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (Cricodon-Ufudocyclops subzone) of South Africa is described. The specimen represents a new gomphodont taxon, Impidens hancoxi, gen. et sp. nov., diagnosed by five sectorial teeth constituting just over half of the length of the upper postcanine tooth row, and enlarged canine and incisor teeth. BP/1/8123, a skull fragment also from the Cricodon-Ufudocyclops subzone, and AMNH FARB 24421, a partial skull from the upper Fremouw Formation of Antarctica, are also referred to the new species. The presence of this taxon in both the upper Fremouw Formation and Cricodon-Ufudocyclops subzone strengthens evidence of biostratigraphic correlation between these units. Impidens hancoxi, with an inferred skull length of up to 460 mm, was a large-bodied and likely omnivorous gomphodont, and may have played the role of apex predator within the tetrapod fauna of the Cricodon-Ufudocyclops subzone. Fil: Tolchard, Frederick. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica Fil: Kammerer, Christian F. North Carolina Museum Of Natural Sciences; Estados Unidos Fil: Butler, Richard J. University Of Birmingham; Reino Unido Fil: Hendrickx, Christophe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentina Fil: Benoit, Julien. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica Fil: Abdala, Nestor Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentina Fil: Choiniere, Jonah N. University of the Witwatersrand; Sudáfrica