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''Angelosaurus'' is an
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of herbivorous caseid
synapsid Synapsida is a diverse group of tetrapod vertebrates that includes all mammals and their extinct relatives. It is one of the two major clades of the group Amniota, the other being the more diverse group Sauropsida (which includes all extant rept ...
s that lived during the late Lower Permian (
Kungurian In the geologic timescale, the Kungurian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is the latest or upper of four subdivisions of the Cisuralian Epoch or Series. The Kungurian lasted between and million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Arti ...
) and early
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 ± 0. ...
(
Roadian In the geologic timescale, the Roadian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is the earliest or lower of three subdivisions of the Guadalupian Epoch or Series. The Roadian lasted between and million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Kun ...
) in what is now
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
and
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. Like other herbivorous caseids, it had a small head, large barrel-shaped body, long tail, and massive limbs. ''Angelosaurus'' differs from other caseids by the extreme massiveness of its bones, particularly those of the limbs, which show a strong development of ridges, processes, and rugosities for the attachment of
muscle Muscle is a soft tissue, one of the four basic types of animal tissue. There are three types of muscle tissue in vertebrates: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle. Muscle tissue gives skeletal muscles the ability to muscle contra ...
s and
tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...
s. Relative to its body size, the limbs of ''Angelosaurus'' were shorter and wider than those of other caseids. The ungual phalanges looked more like hooves than claws. The few known cranial elements show that the
skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...
was short and more robust than that of the other representatives of the group. ''Angelosaurus'' is also distinguished by its bulbous
teeth A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...
with shorter and wider crowns than those of other caseids. Their morphology and the high rate of wear they exhibit suggests a diet quite different from that of other large herbivorous caseids, and must have been based on particularly tough
plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
s. A study published in 2022 suggests that the genus may be
paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
, with ''Angelosaurus'' possibly only represented by its type species ''A. dolani''.


Etymology

The name of the genus ''Angelosaurus'' refers to the San Angelo Formation in Texas, where this animal was first discovered. It is completed by ''saurus'' meaning lizard.


Species

''Angelosaurus'' is only known from incomplete
skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of most animals. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is a rigid outer shell that holds up an organism's shape; the endoskeleton, a rigid internal fra ...
s and isolated
bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...
s. The genus is represented by three species, the largest, ''Angelosaurus greeni'', reaching a size comparable to that of '' Cotylorhynchus romeri''. ''Angelosaurus romeri'' was the smallest species and ''A. dolani'' was of intermediate size. However, the difference in size is not a relevant taxonomic criterion because the number of known specimens is too limited to know the maximum size reached by each species. These three species differ essentially in characteristics of the
humerus The humerus (; : humeri) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius (bone), radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extrem ...
,
femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...
, and
pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...
, which are the only bones allowing comparisons. In the
type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...
''A. dolani'', the humerus is very massive, as long as it is wide with an almost nonexistent shaft. In ''A. romeri'', the humerus is less massive with a very short but distinct shaft. In ''A. romeri'' and ''A. dolani'', the internal
trochanter A trochanter is a tubercle of the femur near its joint with the hip bone. In humans and most mammals, the trochanters serve as important muscle attachment sites. Humans have two, sometimes three, trochanters. Etymology The anatomical term ' ...
is located more or less halfway between the
proximal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
and
distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...
ends of the intertrochanteric fossa, while in ''A. greeni'' it is located near the distal end of the fossa. ''A. romeri'' is distinguished by the prominence of the fourth trochanter. In ''A. romeri'' and ''A. greeni'', the external
condyle A condyle (;Entry "condyle"
in
is the larger of the two and is well separated from the internal condyle. In ''A. dolani'' the internal condyle is the most developed but the separation with the external condyle is less clear, probably due to the presence of an extensive
cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...
cover. The pelvis of ''A. dolani'' is characterized both by the massiveness of the vertebral connections and the strong fusion of the sacral ribs forming a single plate distally, but also by the weak ossification of the dorsal lamina of the ilium and the pubic symphysis. In ''A. romeri'' there is practically no fusion of the sacral ribs. The sacrum of ''A. dolani'' has three vertebrae of which only the first two are fused. In ''A. romeri'', the pubic symphysis is strongly ossified and the sacrum has four vertebrae. In the holotype, the three preserved vertebrae of the sacrum are fused together.
Phylogenetic analysis In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical data ...
by Werneburg and colleagues, however, indicates that the species ''A. greeni'' and ''A. romeri'' may not belong to the genus ''Angelosaurus'', all these taxa requiring a detailed redescription.


''Angelosaurus dolani''

The
type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...
''Angelosaurus dolani'' was erected in 1953 by
Everett C. Olson Everett Claire Olson (November 6, 1910 – November 27, 1993) was an American zoologist, paleontologist, and geologist noted for his seminal research of origin and evolution of vertebrate animals. Through his research studying terrestrial verte ...
and James R. Beerbower from a partial skeleton (the
holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...
FMNH UR 149) found in the red
mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from ''shale'' by its lack of fissility.Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology.'' New York, New York, ...
s constituting the central part of the San Angelo Formation ( Pease River Group), Knox County, Texas. This species was named in honor of Wayne Dolan, whose cooperation made it possible to continue work on the Little Crotton Creek locality, near the town of
Benjamin Benjamin ( ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the younger of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel, and Jacob's twe ...
where the holotype came from. The skeleton of ''A. dolani'' was largely articulated, with the first three presacral
vertebra Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spina ...
e, the
sacrum The sacrum (: sacra or sacrums), in human anatomy, is a triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1S5) between ages 18 and 30. The sacrum situates at the upper, back part of the pelvic cavity, ...
and 24 caudal vertebrae being anatomically connected, as were the left
pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...
,
femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...
s, left
tibia The tibia (; : tibiae or tibias), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two Leg bones, bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outsi ...
and
fibula The fibula (: fibulae or fibulas) or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. ...
, and most of the left
foot The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up o ...
. Four other vertebrae, the right
humerus The humerus (; : humeri) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius (bone), radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extrem ...
, parts of the right manus,
rib In vertebrate anatomy, ribs () are the long curved bones which form the rib cage, part of the axial skeleton. In most tetrapods, ribs surround the thoracic cavity, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the ...
s fragments, two poorly preserved fragments of
dentary In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone ...
and
maxilla In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...
with broken teeth, were scattered anterior to the pelvis. A few vertebrae of a second specimen were also reported from the same site, less than a hundred meters of the first site. ''A. dolani'' is characterized by a heavy and massive skeleton, with shorter and wider limbs than those of other caseids. The humerus is one of the most distinctive elements of the skeleton by its extremely massive proportions. There is virtually no shaft, and the width of the
proximal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
end is almost equal to the total length of the bone. The delto-pectoral crest is highly developed and bears a prominent, knotty and rough process for the insertion of part of the pectoral musculature. Along the anterior margin of the proximal part of the humerus there is a strong ridge for the insertion of the
deltoid muscle The deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder, human shoulder. It is also known as the 'common shoulder muscle', particularly in other animals such as the domestic cat. Anatomically, the deltoid muscle is made up o ...
. The radial
condyle A condyle (;Entry "condyle"
in
of the humerus lies far anteriorly on the ventral and distal surface, and its proportions suggest that the head of the
radius In classical geometry, a radius (: radii or radiuses) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its Centre (geometry), center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The radius of a regular polygon is th ...
was massive. The femur is very massive with a deep and heavy proximal end. The internal
trochanter A trochanter is a tubercle of the femur near its joint with the hip bone. In humans and most mammals, the trochanters serve as important muscle attachment sites. Humans have two, sometimes three, trochanters. Etymology The anatomical term ' ...
is exceptionally strong and has a rough surface. Characteristically, it extends very close to the proximal end of the intertrochanteric fossa (a large concave surface located on the ventral side of the proximal end of the femur and where the ''puboischiofemoralis externus'' muscle inserted). The
fourth trochanter The fourth trochanter is a shared characteristic common to archosaurs. It is a protrusion on the posterior-medial side of the middle of the femur shaft that serves as a muscle attachment, mainly for the '' musculus caudofemoralis longus'', the m ...
, on the other hand, is weak. The
distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...
condyles of the femur are large but not strongly differentiated, probably due to the presence of a
cartilaginous Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...
cap. A strong ridge passes proximally from the intercondylar fossa along the dorsal margin of the femur and continues over the area where the femoro-tibial portion of the ''
triceps surae The triceps surae consists of two muscles located at the calf – the two-headed gastrocnemius and the soleus. These muscles both insert into the calcaneus, the bone of the heel of the human foot, and form the major part of the muscle of the ...
'' muscle likely originated. Like the femur, the tibia and fibula are characterized by their ends formed of unfinished bone, suggesting the presence of a substantial cartilage cover. This peculiarity, which is usually a sign of skeletal immaturity, is surprising because the holotype of ''A. dolani'' belongs to an adult animal as indicated by the complete ossification of various other parts of the skeleton. On the left foot, relatively large compared to the size of the body, the tarsal bones were found articulated but the
metatarsals The metatarsal bones or metatarsus (: metatarsi) are a group of five long bones in the midfoot, located between the tarsal bones (which form the heel and the ankle) and the phalanges (toes). Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are nu ...
and
phalanges The phalanges (: phalanx ) are digit (anatomy), digital bones in the hands and foot, feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the Thumb, thumbs and Hallux, big toes have two phalanges while the other Digit (anatomy), digits have three phalanges. ...
were somewhat disarticulated. So Olson and Beerbower had some difficulty in determining the phalangeal formula. After re-examining the material discovered, Olson later assessed the phalangeal formula of the foot to be 2-2-2-3-3. The ungual phalanges are distinguished from those of other caseids by being short, broad, and smooth, and resemble hooves rather than claws. Some elements of the right manus show that the phalanges were wide and short. The pelvis is characterized by a pubis and
ischium The ischium (; : is ...
forming a broad flattened plate, with a weak symphysis for most of its length. The ilium, short and broad, shows some indication of the dorsal elevation characteristic of caseids, but the apex appears incomplete, possibly cartilaginous. The
acetabulum The acetabulum (; : acetabula), also called the cotyloid cavity, is a wikt:concave, concave surface of the pelvis. The femur head, head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the Hip#Articulation, hip joint. Structure The ...
is proportionately very wide and deep. The sacrum is composed of three vertebrae, the first and the second being fused together. The distal ends of the three sacral ribs are fused to form a broad plate that fits over the ilium. The
thoracic vertebrae In vertebrates, thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. In humans, there are twelve thoracic vertebra (anatomy), vertebrae of intermediate size between the ce ...
have relatively long
transverse processes Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spina ...
and there appears to have been a small ventral facet, indicating that the ribs were double-headed. The
neural spines Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, that make up the vertebral column or spine, of vertebrates. The proportions of the vertebrae differ according to their spinal ...
, although poorly preserved, appear to have been rather short. Two fragments of the upper and lower jaws indicate that the skull was rather small in relation to the size of the body, as is the case in other derived caseids. The two fragments of dentary and maxilla bear a few teeth which, although broken, had an ovoid section and were quite spaced, indicating that their total number should be low.


''Angelosaurus greeni''

''Angelosaurus greeni'' was named in 1962 by Everett C. Olson from a very fragmentary skeleton and various isolated elements found in red mudstones at the top of the San Angelo Formation in Knox County, Texas. The
specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...
honors J. Green of the Alexander Ranch, whose cooperation and assistance during many years has made it possible to explore and collect the
fossiliferous A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved i ...
beds
outcrop An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth and other terrestrial planets. Features Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most p ...
ping on the lands of the Alexander Ranch. It is the largest species of the genus with dimensions comparable to that of the caseid ''Cotylorhynchus romeri''. It is also the most poorly known species. The remains found were fragmentary, in large part due to an extensive chemical decomposition after burial. In the holotype, this decomposition has altered and destroyed many elements of an originally more complete skeleton, as indicated by the presence of many fragments that are difficult to identify, but also the presence on the ground of the indistinct outline of some fully dissolved bones. The holotype (FMNH UR 257) is composed of a femur, some vertebrae, and fragments of ribs.
Paratype In zoology and botany, a paratype is a specimen of an organism that helps define what the scientific name of a species and other taxon actually represents, but it is not the holotype (and in botany is also neither an isotype (biology), isotype ...
s include a distal end fragment of a humerus (FMNH UR 258), pelvic fragments, distal limb elements, and indeterminate fragments (FMNH UR 264), and a flattened humerus with poorly preserved distal end (FMNH UR 259), all coming from the same general horizon and the same locality as the type. This species is mainly characterized by the morphology of its femur. The location of the internal trochanter is very characteristic in being located near the distal end of the intertrochanteric fossa. While it is located near the middle or proximal part of this fossa in the other two species. This internal trochanter is apparently fused with the fourth trochanter. There is no adductor ridge. The anterior (internal) distal condyle is small and is sharply separated from the posterior by a deep groove. Finally, the shaft of the femur is very short.


''Angelosaurus romeri''

''Angelosaurus romeri'' was named in 1962 by Everett C. Olson and Herbert Barghusen from a partial skeleton and many other isolated elements found in the
Omega Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
Quarry in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma. Its remains were originally described as coming from the central part of the Flowerpot Formation. Olson later corrected this attribution by specifying that these remains belong to a tongue of the Chickasha Formation ( El Reno Group) whose deposits interfinger in places with those of the Flowerpot, Blaine, and Dog Creek formations. Although Olson and Barghusen give no information on the name of the species, it probably refers to the American
paleontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
Alfred Sherwood Romer Alfred Sherwood Romer (December 28, 1894 – November 5, 1973) was an American paleontologist and biologist and a specialist in vertebrate evolution. Biography Alfred Romer was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Harry Houston Romer an ...
. Another species of caseid already bore his name, ''Cotylorhynchus romeri''. ''A. romeri'' is the better known species of the genus, and the only one for which various parts of the skull are available. It is the smallest species of the genus and differs from its cousins by a moderate development of the massiveness of the limbs and a weak increase in the robustness of the vertebrae, which can only be distinguished with difficulty from those of ''Cotylorhynchus''. The holotype (FMNH UR 827) is composed of the pelvis, the right femur, 16 presacral vertebrae, five of which have their associated ribs, 3 sacral, and 4 caudals, two of which are associated with chevrons. Also known are two sacral vertebrae and 2 presacral vertebrae forming an articulated series (FMNH UR 828), the right side of a pelvis lacking most of the ischium (FMNH UR 844), a right pubis (FMNH UR 845), an interclavicle (FMNH UR 846), two anterior dorsal ribs (FMNH UR 847 and 850), two median dorsal ribs (FMNH UR 848 and 849), a posterior dorsal rib (FMNH UR 851), a cervical rib (FMNH UR 852), four anterior caudal vertebrae (FMNH UR 853), and a fragment of
premaxilla The premaxilla (or praemaxilla) is one of a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the upper jaw of many animals, usually, but not always, bearing teeth. In humans, they are fused with the maxilla. The "premaxilla" of therian mammals h ...
with two teeth (FMNH UR 854). Subsequent excavations in the Omega quarry have uncovered many additional bones, including several previously unknown skeletal elements. This additional material includes a partial skeleton composed of the sacrum, 4 sacral vertebrae, 3 presacral, 18 caudal, and toe bones (FMNH UR 904), a right
scapulocoracoid The scapulocoracoid is the unit of the pectoral girdle that contains the coracoid and scapula. The coracoid itself is a beak-shaped bone that is commonly found in most vertebrates with a few exceptions. The scapula is commonly known as the ''shoulde ...
and a right humerus (FMNH UR 907), 20 presacral vertebrae (FMNH UR 908), a left scapulocoracoid (FMNH UR 909), a poorly preserved tibia (FMNH UR 911, doubtfully attributed to this taxon), 4 bones of the toes (FMNH UR 914), 3 presacral vertebrae with ribs (FMNH UR 916), a large left femur (FMNH UR 917), a fragment of
maxilla In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...
with 2 teeth (FMNH UR 926), a
braincase In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, brain-pan, or brainbox, is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the calv ...
and part of the
palate The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly sep ...
(FMNH UR 927), a large rib (FMNH UR 928), a
pterygoid Pterygoid, from the Greek for 'winglike', may refer to: * Pterygoid bone, a bone of the palate of many vertebrates * Pterygoid processes of the sphenoid bone ** Lateral pterygoid plate ** Medial pterygoid plate * Lateral pterygoid muscle * Medial ...
(FMNH UR 931), an anterior dorsal rib (FMNH UR 932), a
clavicle The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately long that serves as a strut between the scapula, shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavic ...
(FMNH UR 933), the third presacral rib (FMNH UR 940), an anterior dorsal rib (FMNH UR 941), an isolated tooth (FMNH UR 942), a pair of articulated lower jaws having retained their tooth rows (FMNH UR 943), 2 median dorsal ribs (FM NH UR 944), several anterior dorsal ribs (FMNH UR 945), 20 caudal vertebrae with ribs on the most anterior (FMNH UR 971), a pubis (FMNH UR 978), ilia and ischia of juvenile individuals (FMNH UR 979), and a left and right pelvis (FMNH UR 980). No complete skull of ''Angelosaurus'' has yet been discovered. The species ''A. romeri'' provides the best picture of the cranial morphology in this genus. The skull is represented by an incomplete premaxilla with two teeth, a fragment of maxilla with two teeth, a braincase, a pterygoid, and a pair of lower jaws bearing an almost complete dentition. All these elements are consistent with each other indicating a fairly short, robust and heavy skull, with strong short teeth. The morphology of the skull in lateral view is not well known, but the premaxilla shows that the external nares were large, and the fragment of maxilla shows the existence of a large
orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...
. These two fragments suggest that the elements of the skull were quite massive compared to those of ''Cotylorhynchus'' of comparable size. The skull of ''A. romeri'' must have looked like a slightly more solid and robust version of the basic pattern of the other derived caseids. The lower jaws show that the dentary is short and heavy with a strong
symphysis A symphysis (, : symphyses) is a fibrocartilaginous fusion between two bones. It is a type of cartilaginous joint, specifically a secondary cartilaginous joint. # A symphysis is an amphiarthrosis, a slightly movable joint. # A growing together o ...
. There is a moderately strong and wide shelf at the ventral margin of the symphysis. The teeth of ''A. romeri'' differs very clearly from that of other caseids by their bulbous morphology with very short and wide crowns. The knowledge of the upper dentition is limited to four teeth, two being carried by an incomplete premaxilla and two others coming from a fragment of maxilla. The first premaxillary tooth is very different from that of other caseids genera, in being thick at the base and tapering to a blunt termination of the crown. The second tooth is similar in shape, but much smaller. Neither have cusps. The two maxillary teeth have a general structure similar to that of other derived caseids by having a base with a circular section, followed at the mid-height of the tooth by an enlargement of the crown, which then ends in a labio- lingual thinning giving to the upper end of the crown a spatulate morphology. However, they differ from those of other caseids in being shorter and blunter, the crown ending in a flattened edge bearing five small longitudinal cusps. The pair of lower jaws retains a much more complete dentition. The three anterior teeth are very distinctive. They are very short and blunt with a very broad middle part, and lack cusps. The more posterior teeth are short and resemble the upper ones quite closely. The five cusps on the flattened dorsal margin of the crowns are very distinct. There are 11 teeth on the right side and 12 on the left, counting as present those which are being replaced. Apparently 12 is the correct number, the lowest number of teeth among the caseids from
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. Only the Russian genus ''
Ennatosaurus ''Ennatosaurus'' is an extinct genus of caseid synapsid that lived during the Middle Permian (late Roadian - early Wordian) in northern European Russia. The genus is only represented by its type species, ''Ennatosaurus tecton'', which was named ...
'' has less with only 10 teeth per half jaw. The anterior teeth of the mandibles of ''A. romeri'' are relatively worn. Some of the most posterior teeth are worn and some are not. The cusps disappear quickly with wear and the final stages produce a button-shaped crown whose surface is formed by the bulbous, rounded area of the central part of the tooth. The robustness of these teeth, coupled with the heavy wear they show, indicate that the diet of ''A. romeri'' must have included plants that are tougher than those on which most other herbivorous caseids fed. The postcranial skeleton of ''A. romeri'' differs mainly from that of the other two species of the genus in characteristics of the pelvis, femur, and humerus. The humerus, although large and heavy with strongly developed ridges and processes, differs from that of ''A. dolani'' by its less massive proportions and the presence of a distinct though relatively short shaft. The pelvis is characterized by a pubis and an ischium forming a large, somewhat saddle-shaped plate with a strongly ossified median symphysis whereas it was cartilaginous in ''A. dolani''. In the holotype, the sacrum has only three vertebrae with three associated sacral ribs. However, the paratype FMNH UR 904 has four sacral ribs indicating the presence of four vertebrae in the sacrum of this specimen. It is likely that four is the normal number of sacral vertebrae in this species, as the sacrum of the holotype is in fact incomplete. In the holotype of ''A. romeri'', the three sacral vertebrae are fused while in ''A. dolani'' only the first two are fused. The sacral ribs are blade-shaped and are almost completely separated from each other at the joint with the ilium. At most, a slight fusion is observed between the second and the third sacral rib. The femur is relatively small and strongly ossified. It is characterized by the position of the internal trochanter, which is located approximately halfway between the proximal and distal limits of the intertrochanteric fossa. The fourth trochanter is well developed and rises slightly above the ridge of the adductor. The anterior distal condyle is shallow and flat and is well separated from the posterior condyle. The latter is larger and bears a well-defined surface for articulation with the fibula. The popliteal space is prominent.


Stratigraphic distribution

The age of the San Angelo Formation has been the subject of many interpretations, these assigning it alternatively a late
Cisuralian The Cisuralian, also known as the Early Permian, is the first series/epoch of the Permian. The Cisuralian was preceded by the Pennsylvanian and followed by the Guadalupian. The Cisuralian Epoch is named after the western slopes of the Ural Mou ...
(
Kungurian In the geologic timescale, the Kungurian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is the latest or upper of four subdivisions of the Cisuralian Epoch or Series. The Kungurian lasted between and million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Arti ...
) and/or basal
Guadalupian The Guadalupian is the second and middle Series (stratigraphy), series/Epoch (geology), 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 an ...
(
Roadian In the geologic timescale, the Roadian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is the earliest or lower of three subdivisions of the Guadalupian Epoch or Series. The Roadian lasted between and million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Kun ...
) age. The San Angelo Formation overlies the Clear Fork Group and is overlain by the Blaine Formation. According to Spencer G. Lucas and colleagues, fusulins found in a marine intercalation of the San Angelo Formation, as well as
ammonoids Ammonoids are extinct, (typically) coiled-shelled cephalopods comprising the subclass Ammonoidea. They are more closely related to living octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish (which comprise the clade Coleoidea) than they are to nautiluses (family N ...
present at the base of the overlying Blaine Formation, indicated a Kungurian age. Moreover, according to these authors, the base of the San Andres Formation, located further west and considered a lateral equivalent of the Blaine Formation, is in the '' Neostreptognathodus prayi'' conodont zone, the second of the three Kungurian
conodont Conodonts, are an extinct group of marine jawless vertebrates belonging to the class Conodonta (from Ancient Greek κῶνος (''kōnos''), meaning " cone", and ὀδούς (''odoús''), meaning "tooth"). They are primarily known from their hard ...
biozone In biostratigraphy, biostratigraphic units or biozones are intervals of geological strata that are defined on the basis of their characteristic fossil taxon, taxa, as opposed to a Lithostratigraphy, lithostratigraphic unit which is defined by the ...
s. The base of the Blaine Formation would therefore belong to this Kungurian biozone, suggesting that the underlying San Angelo Formation and ''Angelosaurus'' would be slightly older than the ''N. prayi'' conodont zone with a lower Kungurian age. However,
Michel Laurin Michel Laurin is a Canadian-born French vertebrate paleontologist whose specialities include the emergence of a land-based lifestyle among vertebrates, the evolution of body size and the origin and phylogeny of lissamphibians. He has also made impo ...
and Robert W. Hook argued that the fusuline marine intercalation cited above does not belong to the San Angelo Formation in which it was mistakenly included, and cannot be used to date the latter. The name San Angelo Formation has been incorrectly applied to a wide variety of rocks in various
sedimentary basin Sedimentary basins are region-scale depressions of the Earth's crust where subsidence has occurred and a thick sequence of sediments have accumulated to form a large three-dimensional body of sedimentary rock They form when long-term subsidence ...
s located in western Texas, whereas the San Angelo Formation is restricted to the eastern shelf and is exclusively continental and devoid of marine fossils. On the other hand, the taxonomic revision of the ammonoids from the base of the Blaine Formation indicates a Roadian age rather than a Kungurian age and the San Angelo formation yielded a fossil flora dominated by voltzian
conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...
s, an assemblage rather characteristic of the
Guadalupian The Guadalupian is the second and middle Series (stratigraphy), series/Epoch (geology), 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 an ...
and the
Lopingian The Lopingian is the uppermost series/last epoch of the Permian. It is the last epoch of the Paleozoic. The Lopingian was preceded by the Guadalupian and followed by the Early Triassic. The Lopingian is often synonymous with the informal te ...
. Thus, according to Laurin and Hook, the San Angelo Formation could date from latest Kungurian or earliest Roadian, or more likely could straddle the Kungurian/Roadian boundary. With a stratigraphic position equivalent to the central part of the Flowerpot Formation, the Chickasha Formation contains the most recent Permian tetrapod fauna of North America, including ''A. romeri''. On the basis of its faunal composition, a Middle Permian (=
Guadalupian The Guadalupian is the second and middle Series (stratigraphy), series/Epoch (geology), 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 an ...
) age was assigned to it several times. This attribution is based mainly on the presence in the Chickasha fauna of the
parareptile Parareptilia ("near-reptiles") is an extinct group of Basal (phylogenetics), basal Sauropsida, sauropsids ("Reptile, reptiles"), traditionally considered the sister taxon to Eureptilia (the group that likely contains all living reptiles and birds ...
'' Macroleter'' that was previously known only from the Mezen assemblage in
European Russia European Russia is the western and most populated part of the Russia, Russian Federation. It is geographically situated in Europe, as opposed to the country's sparsely populated and vastly larger eastern part, Siberia, which is situated in Asia ...
, which contains a clearly Guadalupian non
mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...
ian therapsids fauna, and also the caseid ''
Ennatosaurus ''Ennatosaurus'' is an extinct genus of caseid synapsid that lived during the Middle Permian (late Roadian - early Wordian) in northern European Russia. The genus is only represented by its type species, ''Ennatosaurus tecton'', which was named ...
''. Another possible clue of a Guadalupian age is the presence in the Chickasha fauna of the largest known representative of the varanopid, '' Watongia'', whose large dimensions would be the sign of a late increase in size in the evolution of this clade, which would have taken the place of top predator in the absence of
Sphenacodontidae Sphenacodontidae (Greek: "wedge point tooth family") is an extinct family (biology), family of sphenacodontoidea, sphenacodontoid synapsids. Small to large, advanced, carnivore, carnivorous, Late Pennsylvanian to Guadalupian, middle Permian "pelyc ...
. However, the presence of the genus ''Macroleter'' in both Russia and Oklahoma does not guarantee that the Mezen assemblage and the Chickasha formation are (sub) contemporary because various Permian
tetrapod A tetrapod (; from Ancient Greek :wiktionary:τετρα-#Ancient Greek, τετρα- ''(tetra-)'' 'four' and :wiktionary:πούς#Ancient Greek, πούς ''(poús)'' 'foot') is any four-Limb (anatomy), limbed vertebrate animal of the clade Tetr ...
s genera had a wide temporal distribution, such ''
Dimetrodon ''Dimetrodon'' ( or ; ) is an extinct genus of sphenacodontid synapsid that lived during the Cisuralian (Early Permian) Epoch (geology), epoch of the Permian period, around 295–272 million years ago. With most species measuring long and ...
'' and '' Diplocaulus''. Another example, the varanopid '' Mesenosaurus'', originally known from the Guadalupian assemblage of Mezen, is also represented by a distinct species in a locality from Oklahoma radiometrically dated to the mid-Lower Permian (
Artinskian In the geologic timescale, the Artinskian is an age (geology), age or stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Permian. It is a subdivision of the Cisuralian Epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series. The Artinskian likely lasted between ...
), an age difference of at least 20 million years with the Russian species. Thus, the age of the Chickasha Formation can hardly be estimated from its fauna. Other researchers assign it a Kungurian age. However, magnetostratigraphic data suggest that the Chickasha formation probably dates from the lower Roadian. This age is also consistent with the
stratigraphic Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has three related subfields: lithost ...
position of the Chickasha Formation which occupies a slightly higher position than that of the San Angelo Formation dated to the Kungurian-Roadian boundary.


Paleoenvironments

In the Permian, most of the landmasses was united in a single supercontinent,
Pangea Pangaea or Pangea ( ) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from the earlier continental units of Gondwana, Euramerica and Siberia (continent), Siberia during the Carboniferous period ...
. It was then roughly C-shaped: its northern (
Laurasia Laurasia () was the more northern of two large landmasses that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from around ( Mya), the other being Gondwana. It separated from Gondwana (beginning in the late Triassic period) during the breakup of Pa ...
) and southern (
Gondwana Gondwana ( ; ) was a large landmass, sometimes referred to as a supercontinent. The remnants of Gondwana make up around two-thirds of today's continental area, including South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia (continent), Australia, Zea ...
) parts were connected to the west but separated to the east by the
Tethys Ocean The Tethys Ocean ( ; ), also called the Tethys Sea or the Neo-Tethys, was a prehistoric ocean during much of the Mesozoic Era and early-mid Cenozoic Era. It was the predecessor to the modern Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Eurasia ...
. A long string of microcontinents, grouped under the name of Cimmeria, divided the Tethys in two : the Paleo-Tethys in the north, and the Neo-Tethys in the south. The San Angelo and Chickasha formations correspond mainly to
fluvial A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...
and aeolian
sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
s deposited in a vast deltaic
plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...
dotted with
lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
s and
lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...
s. This
coastal plain A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area. Formation Coastal plains can f ...
was bordered to the west by a sea that occupied what is today the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
and the southernmost part of North America. The rivers ending in the delta came from modest reliefs located further east and corresponding to the ancestral uplifts of the Ouachita, Arbuckle and Wichita mountains. The climate was subtropical with moderate and seasonal rains. There was a summer
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
as well as a dry winter season. The monsoon was relatively weak, due to the limited size of the sea and the small differential between summer and winter temperatures. The presence of
evaporite An evaporite () is a water- soluble sedimentary mineral deposit that results from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution. There are two types of evaporite deposits: marine, which can also be described as oce ...
s indicates significant aridity interrupted by seasonal flooding. The San Angelo Formation is composed at its base of hard, green, gray and brown
sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
s and fine conglomerates, all of them unfossiliferous. The central part of the formation consists mainly of red
mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from ''shale'' by its lack of fissility.Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology.'' New York, New York, ...
s corresponding to
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
ey and
silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...
y
mud Mud (, or Middle Dutch) is loam, silt or clay mixed with water. Mud is usually formed after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits hardened over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone (generally cal ...
deposited on the coastal plains during periodic flooding episodes. The mode of preservation of the type specimen of ''Angelosaurus dolani'', with the posterior part of the skeleton articulated and the anterior part incomplete and dislocated, suggests that the animal was trapped in muddy sediment and then devoured by carnivores who dispersed the exposed parts. The caseid '' Caseoides'' is also present in this part of the formation. These red mudstones are interspersed with a thin level of green sandstone, sandy mudstones, and evaporites. These correspond to a minor and ephemeral encroachment of
estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
,
lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...
s, and very shallow
sea A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...
s on the terrestrial part of the delta. The upper part of the San Angelo Formation is characterized by the preponderance of coarse sediments such as sandstones and conglomerates, but also including at its base sandy mudstones and at its top pure red mudstones. According to Olson, these sediments were deposited by wider and more powerful
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
s than those in the central part of the formation. However, in Oklahoma, strata equivalent to the San Angelo Formation, which were also considered fluvio-deltaic and coastal deposits, have been reinterpreted as being of aeolian origin. The base of the upper San Angelo Formation is characterized by the absence of the genus ''Angelosaurus'' and the abundance of '' Cotylorhynchus hanckoki'', which is associated, among others, with the caseid '' Caseopsis agilis'', the
sphenacodontid Sphenacodontidae (Greek: "wedge point tooth family") is an extinct family of sphenacodontoid synapsids. Small to large, advanced, carnivorous, Late Pennsylvanian to middle Permian "pelycosaurs". The most recent one, ''Dimetrodon angelensis'', is ...
'' Dimetrodon angelensis'', and the
captorhinids Captorhinidae is an extinct family of tetrapods, traditionally considered primitive reptiles, known from the late Carboniferous to the Late Permian. They had a cosmopolitan distribution across Pangea. Description Captorhinids are a clade of sm ...
'' Rothianiscus multidonta'', and '' Kahneria seltina''. At the top of the San Angelo Formation, red mudstones are again the dominant sedimentary facies. The genus ''Angelosaurus'' is again present (with the species ''A. greeni''), accompanied by ''Caseoides'' cf. ''agilis'', ''R. multidonta'' and ''K. seltina''. In Oklahoma, the Chickasha Formation corresponds to the central part of the Flowerpot Formation in which it is locally inserted. The sediments that compose it are varied and include red shales, sandstones, mudstones, conglomerates, and evaporites, deposited in
floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...
s and
channels Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Australia in Queensland and pa ...
bordering the sea and coastal lagoons. In the Omega quarry, all the fossils come from sandstones, mudstones and hard,
siliceous Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant ...
conglomerates, arranged in lenses. They correspond to deposits of an old channel about 1.50 m thick and 4.6 m wide where the skeletons of ''Angelosaurus romeri'' have accumulated, but also those of a second caseid, '' Cotylorhynchus bransoni'', and those of the captorhinid '' Rothianiscus robustus''. Elsewhere in this formation are known the
Xenacanthiform Xenacanthida (or Xenacanthiformes) is an order or superorder of extinct shark-like Chondrichthyes, chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fish) known from the Carboniferous to Triassic. They were native to freshwater, marginal marine and shallow marine hab ...
'' Orthacanthus'', the
Nectridea Nectridea is an extinct order of lepospondyl tetrapods from the Carboniferous and Permian periods, including animals such as '' Diplocaulus''. In appearance, they would have resembled modern newts or aquatic salamanders, although they are not cl ...
'' Diplocaulus'', the temnospondyle
Dissorophidae Dissorophidae is an extinct family of medium-sized temnospondyls that flourished during the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. The clade is known almost exclusively from North America. History of study Dissorophidae is a diverse cla ...
'' Nooxobeia'', the
pareiasauromorpha Pareiasauromorpha is a group of parareptilian amniotes from the Permian. It includes genera found all over the world, with many genera from Asia and South Africa. The clade was first used as a group by Linda A. Tsuji in 2011, in order to group t ...
Nycteroleteridae '' Macroleter'', and the
Varanopidae Varanopidae is an extinct family (biology), family of amniotes known from the Late Carboniferous to Middle Permian that resembled monitor lizards (with the name of the group deriving from the monitor lizard genus ''Varanus'') and may have filled ...
'' Varanodon'' and '' Watongia''.


Phylogeny

All
phylogenetics In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...
studies of caseids consider ''Angelosaurus'' to be a
taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...
close to the genera ''
Ennatosaurus ''Ennatosaurus'' is an extinct genus of caseid synapsid that lived during the Middle Permian (late Roadian - early Wordian) in northern European Russia. The genus is only represented by its type species, ''Ennatosaurus tecton'', which was named ...
'' and ''
Cotylorhynchus ''Cotylorhynchus'' is an Extinction, extinct genus of herbivorous Caseidae, caseid synapsids that lived during the late Cisuralian, Lower Permian (Kungurian) and possibly the early Guadalupian, Middle Permian (Roadian) in what is now Texas and Ok ...
''. In the first phylogenetic analysis of caseids published in 2008, the species ''Angelosaurus dolani'' is recovered as the
sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...
of ''Cotylorhynchus romeri''. Below is the first caseid cladogram published by Maddin et al. in 2008. Another phylogenetic analysis performed in 2012 by Benson identifies ''Angelosaurus romeri'' as the sister group of the three species of ''Cotylorhynchus''. Below is the caseasaurs cladogram released by Benson in 2012. In 2015, Romano and Nicosia published the first
cladistic Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...
study including almost all caseids, except for very fragmentary taxa such as '' Alierasaurus ronchii'' and ''Angelosaurus greeni''. In this analysis, ''Angelosaurus'' and ''Ennatosaurus'' form a clade and this clade is the sister group of a clade containing the genus '' Ruthenosaurus'' and the three species of ''Cotylorhynchus''. Below is the caseid cladogram published by Romano and Nicosia in 2015. In 2020, two
cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...
s published by Berman and colleagues also recover ''Angelosaurus'' as one of the most derived caseids. In the first cladogram, ''Angelosaurus romeri'' together with the three species of ''Cotylorhynchus'' and ''Alierasaurus'' form an unresolved
polytomy An internal node of a phylogenetic tree is described as a polytomy or multifurcation if (i) it is in a rooted tree and is linked to three or more child subtrees or (ii) it is in an unrooted tree and is attached to four or more branches. A tree ...
. In the second cladogram, ''A. romeri'' is the sister taxon of a clade containing ''Cotylorhynchus'' and ''Alierasaurus''. Below are the two caseids cladograms published by Berman and colleagues in 2020. A phylogenetic analysis published in 2022 by Werneburg and colleagues suggests that the genera ''Angelosaurus'' and ''Cotylorhynchus'' may be
paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
, the taxa other than their type species possibly belonging to different genera. Below is the cladogram published by Werneburg and colleagues in 2022.


Notes


References


See also

*
List of pelycosaurs This list of pelycosaurs is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all Genus, genera that have ever been included in the synapsida excluding therapsida and purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also g ...
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1014429 Caseidae Prehistoric synapsid genera Cisuralian synapsids of North America Taxa named by Everett C. Olson Fossil taxa described in 1953 Kungurian genus first appearances Kungurian genus extinctions