Syodontidae
Encyclopedia
Syodontidae are a possibly paraphyletic family
of smallish primitive carnivorous
Dinocephalia
. They lack the distinctive 'boss' on the lower jaw, that characterises the Anteosauridae
, so they can be considered more primitive. They are known from the Middle Permian
Period of what is now Russia
and, more recently, South Africa
. The South African form, Australosyodon
, is the earliest known Gondwana
n Anteosaur and dates from the Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone
. It appears to be very similar to the Russian Syodon
.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of smallish primitive carnivorous
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
Dinocephalia
Dinocephalia
Dinocephalia are a clade of large early therapsids that flourished during the Middle Permian, but became extinct leaving no descendants.-Description:...
. They lack the distinctive 'boss' on the lower jaw, that characterises the Anteosauridae
Anteosauridae
The Anteosauridae or Anteosaurinae are a family or subfamily of very large carnivorous Dinocephalia that are known from the Middle Permian of Russia and South Africa...
, so they can be considered more primitive. They are known from the Middle Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
Period of what is now Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and, more recently, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The South African form, Australosyodon
Australosyodon
Australosyodon is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsid.-References:*...
, is the earliest known Gondwana
Gondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...
n Anteosaur and dates from the Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone
Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone
The Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone is a geological stratum and a faunal zone of the Beaufort Group, of the South African Karoo. The name refers to Eodicynodon, a small herbivore and the earliest genus of dicynodont mammal-like reptile, whose fossils have been found in that structure.Eodicynodon was a...
. It appears to be very similar to the Russian Syodon
Syodon
Syodon is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsid....
.