Sinophoneus

Sinophoneus
Temporal range: Middle Permian, 270 Ma
Restoration of Sinophoneus yumenensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Order: Therapsida
Suborder: Dinocephalia
Family: Anteosauridae
Subfamily: Anteosaurinae
Genus: Sinophoneus
Cheng and Ji, 1996
Type species
Sinophoneus yumenensis
Cheng and Ji, 1996
Synonyms
  • Stenocybus acidentatus Cheng and Li, 1997

Sinophoneus is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsid in the family Anteosauridae. A single fossilized skull (GMV 1601) has been found from the Middle Permian Xidagou Formation of China.[1]

Description

Restoration of Sinophoneus based on IGCAGS V 361, originally classified as Stenocybus acidentatus

Sinophoneus is characterized by a wide snout and by a ridge that runs along the midline of the skull between the eye sockets. The anteosaur Stenocybus acidentatus has also been named from the Xidagou Formation on the basis of a skull (IGCAGS V 361) and fragmentary jaw bones, but likely represents a juvenile form of Sinophoneus. Juvenile features include its smaller size, larger eye sockets and taller skull. Both GMV 1601 and IGCAGS V 361 have large rounded snouts, distinguishing them from most other anteosaurs and suggesting that they are closely related.[2]

References

  1. http://www.palaeocritti.com/sinophoneus
  2. Kammerer, C.F. (2011). "Systematics of the Anteosauria (Therapsida: Dinocephalia)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 9 (2). doi:10.1080/14772019.2010.492645.
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