Keratocephalus
Encyclopedia
Keratocephalus is an extinct genus of Tapinocephalia
from the middle Permian of South Africa. Lower and Middle Tapinocephalus Zone, Karoo deposits, Lower Beaufort Beds; Beaufort West. It has a 2.5 to 3 m long (skull 50 cm); 700 to 1000 kg; with a variable snout length; variable pachyostosis; nasofrontal boss raised into a horn-like shape. K. moloch is known from a number of greatly variable skulls, along with postcrania, from the Lower and Middle Tapinocephalus zone, shows considerable variability in the pachyostotic development. It may be not as derived as Tapinocephalus. The naso-frontal boss is raised into a sort of horn (hence the name - "horned head") and the length of the snout varies greatly. This in itself throws doubt on Boonstra's distinction between short and long-snouted forms. Pelosuchus, known only on the basis of postcranial features, is a synonym. ATW020525 MAK020416.
Tapinocephalia
The tapinocephalians are one of the major groups of dinocephalian therapsids. Unlike anteosaurs and estemmenosuchids, tapinocephalians are mainly from Africa and only one species is found in the north - Ulemosaurus from Russia. The tapinocephalians are divided into three clades, Styracocephalidae,...
from the middle Permian of South Africa. Lower and Middle Tapinocephalus Zone, Karoo deposits, Lower Beaufort Beds; Beaufort West. It has a 2.5 to 3 m long (skull 50 cm); 700 to 1000 kg; with a variable snout length; variable pachyostosis; nasofrontal boss raised into a horn-like shape. K. moloch is known from a number of greatly variable skulls, along with postcrania, from the Lower and Middle Tapinocephalus zone, shows considerable variability in the pachyostotic development. It may be not as derived as Tapinocephalus. The naso-frontal boss is raised into a sort of horn (hence the name - "horned head") and the length of the snout varies greatly. This in itself throws doubt on Boonstra's distinction between short and long-snouted forms. Pelosuchus, known only on the basis of postcranial features, is a synonym. ATW020525 MAK020416.
See also
- MoschopsMoschopsMoschops is an extinct genus of therapsid that lived in the Late Permian, around 255 million years ago. Therapsids were proto-mammals , which were the dominant land animals. Five metres long, Moschops was the largest land animal of its time, a herbivore preyed on by other therapsids...
capensis. - RiebeeckosaurusRiebeeckosaurusRiebeeckosaurus is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsid from the Middle Permian of South Africa. Middle Tapinocephalus Zone, Karoo deposits, lower Beaufort Beds, Beaufort West, Boonstra 1952b. It was a herbivorous medium-sized dinocephalia, it has a very long, slender snout and a narrow...
longirostris. - StruthiocephalusStruthiocephalusStruthiocephalus is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsid from the Permian of South Africa.-Sources:*Dinosaur Encyclopedia by Jayne Parsons*The Origin and Evolution of Mammals by T. S...
whaitsi. - TapinocephalusTapinocephalusTapinocephalus is a genus of large herbivorous dinocephalian that lived during the Middle Permian Period. These stocky, barrel-bodied animals were characterised by a massive bony skull roof and short weak snout...
atherstonei. - UlemosaurusUlemosaurusUlemosaurus svijagensis was a dinocephalian synapsid that lived 250 million years ago, at Isheevo in Russian Tatarstan.Only several partial skeletons and skulls have been found. The skull bones are extremely dense: about 10 cm at its thickest. This thickening is possibly related to...
reconstruction.