Burnetia
Encyclopedia
Burnetia is an extinct genus of therapsid or mammal-like "reptile" belonging to the Burnetiid
family, which itself belongs to the Biarmosuchia
n suborder. Burnetia is known so far from a single holotype skull lacking the lower jaws described by Broom in 1923. The skull is from the Dicynodon Zone beds in the late Permian of South Africa. Due to erosion and dorsoventral crushing the skull is hard to interpret. Stutural lines are further distorted by the unusual anatomy of Burnetia's skull roof which possesses many bosses and protuberances. The use of these is unknown, but likely to have some use in combat or sexual selection.
"On the Cranial Morphology of the Basal Therapsids Burnetia and Proburnetia (Therapsida: Burnetiidae)", Bruce S. Rubidge and Christian A. Sidor. JVP June 2002.
Burnetiidae
The Burnetiids were a family belonging to the Biarmosuchian clade that lived in the Permian Period. This family contains Bullacephalus, Burnetia, Lemurosaurus, Lobalopex, Niuksenitia, Paraburnetia and Proburnetia....
family, which itself belongs to the Biarmosuchia
Biarmosuchia
Biarmosuchia, also known as Eotitanosuchia and Phthinosuchia, is an assemblage of primitive Permian therapsids that represent either a paraphyletic stem group or a very early off-shoot of the main therapsid tree....
n suborder. Burnetia is known so far from a single holotype skull lacking the lower jaws described by Broom in 1923. The skull is from the Dicynodon Zone beds in the late Permian of South Africa. Due to erosion and dorsoventral crushing the skull is hard to interpret. Stutural lines are further distorted by the unusual anatomy of Burnetia's skull roof which possesses many bosses and protuberances. The use of these is unknown, but likely to have some use in combat or sexual selection.
See also
"On the Cranial Morphology of the Basal Therapsids Burnetia and Proburnetia (Therapsida: Burnetiidae)", Bruce S. Rubidge and Christian A. Sidor. JVP June 2002.