Moschorhinus
Genus of synapsid from late Permian and early Triassic South Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Moschorhinus?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Moschorhinus is an extinct genus of therocephalian synapsid in the family Akidnognathidae with only one species: M. kitchingi, which has been found in the Late Permian to Early Triassic of the South African Karoo Supergroup. It was a large carnivorous therapsid, reaching 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in total body length with the largest skull comparable to that of a lion in size, and had a broad, blunt snout which bore long, straight canines.
Moschorhinus | |
---|---|
Restoration of Moschorhinus kitchingi | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Synapsida |
Clade: | Therapsida |
Clade: | †Therocephalia |
Family: | †Akidnognathidae |
Genus: | †Moschorhinus Broom, 1920 |
Species: | †M. kitchingi |
Binomial name | |
†Moschorhinus kitchingi Broom, 1920 | |
Synonyms | |
|
Moschorhinus appears to have ecologically replaced the gorgonopsids as an apex predator, and hunted much like a big cat. While most abundant in the Late Permian, it survived into the Early Triassic in small numbers after the Permian Extinction, though these Triassic survivors had stunted growth.