''Langbergia'' is an extinct genus of

trirachodontid Trirachodontidae is an extinct, possibly paraphyletic family of cynognathian cynodonts from the Triassic of China and southern Africa. Trirachodontids appeared during the Early Triassic soon after the Permian-Triassic extinction event and quickl ...

cynodont Cynodontia () is a clade of eutheriodont therapsids that first appeared in the Late Permian (approximately 260 Megaannum, mya), and extensively diversified after the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Mammals are cynodonts, as are their extin ...

from the

Early Triassic The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic Period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between 251.9 Ma and Ma (million years ago). Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic Series, which ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

and only species ''L. modisei'' was named in 2006 after the farm where the holotype was found, Langberg 566. ''Langbergia'' was found in the Burgersdorp Formation in the

Beaufort Group The Beaufort Group is the third of the main subdivisions of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. It is composed of a lower Adelaide Subgroup and an upper Tarkastad Subgroup. It follows conformably after the Ecca Group and unconformably under ...

, a part of the

Cynognathus Assemblage Zone The ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod biozone utilized in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. It is equivalent to the Burgersdorp Formation, the youngest Lithostratigraphy, lithostratigraphic Geological formation, formation in the Beauf ...

. The closely related trirachodontids ''

Trirachodon ''Trirachodon'' (Greek: "three ridge tooth") is an extinct genus of cynodonts. Fossils have been found in the ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group in South Africa and the Omingonde Formation of Namibia, dating back to the Earl ...

'' and ''

Cricodon ''Cricodon'' is an extinct genus of trirachodontid cynodonts that lived during the Early Triassic and Middle Triassic periods of Africa.Abdala, F., J. Neveling, and J. Welman. 2006. A new trirachodontid cynodont from the lower levels of the Burge ...

'' were found in the same area.

History of discovery

''Langbergia'' was discovered in the

of the

of South Africa in 2006. It was named after the farm where the holotype was found (Langberg 566).

Description and paleobiology

Trirachodontids are distinguishable due to the shape of their postcanines; the postcanines, distal to the canines, are transversely widened teeth with three main cusps disposed in a transverse row across the center of the tooth. ''Langbergia'' are small gomphodontian cynodonts. Cynodonts are a very important component of the Triassic. After the ''Langbergia'' fossil was found in 2006, new diagnostic features allowed for a new taxon, ''Langbergia modisei.'' Unlike other Trirachodontids, the upper and lower gomphodont post caninines of ''Langbergia'' are elliptical in cross section, slightly labiolingually elongated and their long axis is longuomesially orientated. Additionally, both upper and lower lower gomphodont postcanines of ''Langbergia'' increase tooth size up until the penultimate tooth and the medial and distal basins are deep and mesiodistally short Trirachodontids ''Trirachodon'' and ''Cricodon'' have a labial platform of the maxilla that arises lateral to the postcanine series, this is not observed in ''Langbergia.'' ''Langbergia'' has been recorded having stapes, despite how fragile the structure is. Dentition of Langbergia modisei

''Langbergia,'' like most other living in the Permian, went extinct during the end-Permian mass extinction.

Geological information

The Burgersdorp Formation in South Africa is known for having a substantial amount of fossiliferous rocks. The Permo-Triassic strata of the Beaufort Group has a substantial amount of therapsid fossils which are used in the biostratigraphic subdivision. The uppermost division is the ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone, this zone covers the late early and early middle Triassic. The ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone is then divided into a threefold subdivision. The uppermost subdivision of the ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone is named the ''Lystrosaurus'' Assemblage Zone. The upper boundary of the ''Lystrosaurus'' Assemblage Zone is drawn at the ''Langbergia'' and the ''

Garjainia ''Garjainia'' is an extinct genus of erythrosuchid archosauriform reptile from the Olenekian of Russia and South Africa. It was approximately long. It contained two species, ''Garjainia prima'' from the Yarengian/Yarkenskian Supergorizont of ...

.''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6485754 Cynognathia Early Triassic synapsids of Africa Fossils of South Africa Fossil taxa described in 2006