''Titanophoneus'' ("titanic murderer") is an extinct genus of carnivorous
dinocephalia
Dinocephalians (terrible heads) are a clade of large-bodied early therapsids that flourished in the Early and Middle Permian between 279.5 and 260 million years ago (Ma), but became extinct during the Capitanian mass extinction event. Dinocephal ...
n
therapsid
Therapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origin within early therapsids, including limbs that were oriented more ...
from the
Middle Permian
The Guadalupian is the second and middle series/ epoch of the Permian. The Guadalupian was preceded by the Cisuralian and followed by the Lopingian. It is named after the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico and Texas, and dates between 272.95 ± ...
. It is classified within the family
Anteosauridae
Anteosauridae is an extinct family of large carnivorous dinocephalian therapsids that are known from the Middle Permian of Asia, Africa, and South America.These animals were by far the largest predators of the Permian period, with skulls reaching ...
. The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specim ...
is ''Titanophoneus potens''.
Remains of ''Titanophoneus'' have been found at Isheevo in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
.
Description
An adult skull would have reached 80 cm with a heavy long snout. The long tail and short limbs show the species to be a primitive therapsid unlike ''
Inostrancevia'' which was more advanced. The structure of the limbs and the density of the bone are designed for a sprawling stance. The temporal opening is more advanced than
Estemmenosuchidae
Estemmenosuchidae is an extinct family of large, very early herbivorous therapsids that flourished during the Guadalupian period. They are distinguished by horn-like structures, probably for display or agonistic behavior. Apart from the best kno ...
but less advanced than ''Inostrancevia''.
The teeth are large with 12 large palate incisors followed by 2 canines and various smaller back teeth. The lower palate is the same as the upper but without the canine teeth. The appearance of ''Titanophoneus'' is reminiscent to the
sphenacodontid
Sphenacodontidae (Greek: "wedge point tooth family") is an extinct family (biology), family of small to large, advanced, carnivore, carnivorous, Late Pennsylvanian to Guadalupian, middle Permian pelycosaurs. The most recent one, ''Dimetrodon ang ...
pelycosaurs, which included ''
Dimetrodon
''Dimetrodon'' ( or ,) meaning "two measures of teeth,” is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsid that lived during the Cisuralian (Early Permian), around 295–272 million years ago (Mya). It is a member of the family Sphenacodont ...
''.
Gallery
image:Titanophoneus 3.jpg, Reconstruction by Dimitri Bogdanov of a ''Titanophoneus potens'' devouring a '' Ulemosaurus''
image:Titanophoneus2.jpg, Reconstruction of a pack of '' Titanophoneus potens ''
image:Titanophoneus_head.jpg, Reconstruction of the head
image:Titanophoneus Moscow.jpg, Fossil skeleton of a juvenile individual.
image:Doliosauriscus1DB.jpg, Reconstruction of a ''Titanophoneus adamanteus''
image:Titanophoneus_BW.jpg, Life restoration of ''Titanophoneus potens''
image:Titanophoneus chart2 DB15.jpg, ''Titanophoneus'' compared to a human
See also
*
List of therapsids
This list of therapsids is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the Therapsida excluding mammals and purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera tha ...
References
*
External links
Taxonomy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q284062
Anteosaurs
Prehistoric therapsid genera
Prehistoric synapsids of Europe
Fossil taxa described in 1938
Taxa named by Ivan Yefremov