Platycraniellus
Extinct genus of cynodonts from the early Triassic of South Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Platycraniellus is an extinct genus of carnivorous cynodonts from the Early Triassic. It is known from the Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone of the Normandien Formation in South Africa. P. elegans is the only species in this genus based on the holotype specimen from the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria, South Africa (formerly known as the Transvaal Museum). Due to limited fossil records for study, Platycraniellus has only been briefly described a handful of times.[1]
Platycraniellus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Synapsida |
Clade: | Therapsida |
Clade: | Cynodontia |
Clade: | Epicynodontia |
Genus: | †Platycraniellus van Hoepen, 1917 |
Species: | †P. elegans |
Binomial name | |
†Platycraniellus elegans van Hoepen, 1917 | |
Synonyms | |
Platycranion, Platycranion elegans |
Platycraniellus has been recognized as basal cynodonts, characterized by the broad temporal region of the skull and a short snout. Based on its phylogenetic position, Platycraniellus has a variety of morphologies similar to the sister taxon of Thrinaxodon, a relatively well-studied taxon.[1][2]