The last “pelycosaur”: a varanopid synapsid from the Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone, Middle Permian of South Africa

@article{Modesto2011TheL,
  title={The last “pelycosaur”: a varanopid synapsid from the Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone, Middle Permian of South Africa},
  author={Sean P. Modesto and Roger M. H. Smith and Nicol{\'a}s E. Campione and Robert R. Reisz},
  journal={Naturwissenschaften},
  year={2011},
  volume={98},
  pages={1027-1034}
}
We report on a partial varanopid skull and mandible from the Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group, in the South African Karoo Basin, which is probably latest Middle Permian (Capitanian) in age. This mycterosaurine is not only the youngest known varanopid from the Southern Hemisphere, but it is also the youngest known “pelycosaur” (i.e., non-therapsid synapsid). Like all other members of this clade of hypercarnivores, the teeth are strongly flattened, recurved, and have finely… Expand
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