A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
A new taxon of dicynodont (Thliptosaurus imperforatus gen. et sp. nov.) is described based on a dorsoventrally-crushed skull from latest Permian (upper Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone) strata in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Thliptosaurus is distinguished from all other dicynodonts by an elongate inter...
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Evolutionary Studies Institute
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ftunivwitwaters:oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/26708 2023-06-11T04:06:53+02:00 A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Kammerer, Christian F. 2019-04 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26708 en eng Evolutionary Studies Institute 2410-4418 https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26708 Copyright 2019 the Author Synapsida Dicynodontia Permian end-Permian mass extinction South Africa Article 2019 ftunivwitwaters 2023-05-15T09:50:08Z A new taxon of dicynodont (Thliptosaurus imperforatus gen. et sp. nov.) is described based on a dorsoventrally-crushed skull from latest Permian (upper Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone) strata in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Thliptosaurus is distinguished from all other dicynodonts by an elongate intertemporal bar with broad dorsal exposure of the parietals but apparently no pineal foramen. Absence of the pineal foramen in dicynodonts is exceedingly rare; the only other taxa which exhibit this feature either have substantially broader (Kawingasaurus fossilis) or narrower (Kombuisia frerensis) intertemporal regions. Inclusion of Thliptosaurus in a phylogenetic analysis of dicynodonts recovers it as a kingoriid emydopoid, a position supported by its anteriorly-restricted pterygoid keel, elongate, curved anterior process of the lacrimal, relatively posterior position of the median pterygoid plate, and occlusion of the mandibular fenestra by a lateral plate of the dentary. Intriguingly, even in the other kingoriids which retain a pineal foramen (Dicynodontoides spp. and Kombuisia antarctica), this structure is reduced in size relative to other dicynodonts, suggesting that the pineal eye was less important for thermoregulatory activity in this clade than in other anomodonts. Although part of a local fauna including taxa that are otherwise widespread in the Karoo Basin (Daptocephalus, Lystrosaurus), the unique presence of Thliptosaurus in the relatively poorly-sampled Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone deposits of KwaZulu-Natal suggests that this region may preserve endemic taxa, and should be prioritized for future fieldwork. JNC2019 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (KA 4133-1/1) Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg: WITS Institutional Repository on DSpace (WIReDSpace) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg: WITS Institutional Repository on DSpace (WIReDSpace) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwitwaters |
language |
English |
topic |
Synapsida Dicynodontia Permian end-Permian mass extinction South Africa |
spellingShingle |
Synapsida Dicynodontia Permian end-Permian mass extinction South Africa Kammerer, Christian F. A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
topic_facet |
Synapsida Dicynodontia Permian end-Permian mass extinction South Africa |
description |
A new taxon of dicynodont (Thliptosaurus imperforatus gen. et sp. nov.) is described based on a dorsoventrally-crushed skull from latest Permian (upper Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone) strata in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Thliptosaurus is distinguished from all other dicynodonts by an elongate intertemporal bar with broad dorsal exposure of the parietals but apparently no pineal foramen. Absence of the pineal foramen in dicynodonts is exceedingly rare; the only other taxa which exhibit this feature either have substantially broader (Kawingasaurus fossilis) or narrower (Kombuisia frerensis) intertemporal regions. Inclusion of Thliptosaurus in a phylogenetic analysis of dicynodonts recovers it as a kingoriid emydopoid, a position supported by its anteriorly-restricted pterygoid keel, elongate, curved anterior process of the lacrimal, relatively posterior position of the median pterygoid plate, and occlusion of the mandibular fenestra by a lateral plate of the dentary. Intriguingly, even in the other kingoriids which retain a pineal foramen (Dicynodontoides spp. and Kombuisia antarctica), this structure is reduced in size relative to other dicynodonts, suggesting that the pineal eye was less important for thermoregulatory activity in this clade than in other anomodonts. Although part of a local fauna including taxa that are otherwise widespread in the Karoo Basin (Daptocephalus, Lystrosaurus), the unique presence of Thliptosaurus in the relatively poorly-sampled Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone deposits of KwaZulu-Natal suggests that this region may preserve endemic taxa, and should be prioritized for future fieldwork. JNC2019 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (KA 4133-1/1) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kammerer, Christian F. |
author_facet |
Kammerer, Christian F. |
author_sort |
Kammerer, Christian F. |
title |
A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
title_short |
A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
title_full |
A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
title_fullStr |
A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
title_full_unstemmed |
A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
title_sort |
new dicynodont (anomodontia: emydopoidea) from the terminal permian of kwazulu-natal, south africa |
publisher |
Evolutionary Studies Institute |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26708 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_relation |
2410-4418 https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26708 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2019 the Author |
_version_ |
1768379070801772544 |