Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

Stratigraphy of the Karoo Supergroup in the Karoo Basin
Period	Group	Formation west of 24°E	Formation east of 24°E	Assemblage Zone
Jurassic	Drakensberg	Hiatus	Drakensberg
	Stormberg		Clarens
Triassic			Elliot
			Molteno
	Beaufort
			Burgersdorp	Cynognathus
			Katberg	Lystrosaurus
			Balfour
Permian				Dicynodon
		Teekloof
				Cistecephalus
			Middleton
				Tropidostoma
				Pristerognathus
		Abrahams-Kraal	Koonap
				Tapinocephalus
				Eodicynodon
	Ecca	Waterford	Waterford
		Tierberg / Fort Brown	Fort Brown
		Laingsburg / Ripon	Ripon
		Collingham	Collingham
		White Hill	White Hill
		Prince Albert	Prince Albert
Carboniferous	Dwyka	Elandsvlei	Elandsvlei
References: Rubidge (2005),[1] Selden and Nudds (2011).[2]

The Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone is a geological stratum and is the thickest faunal zone of the Beaufort Group, South Africa, in which has been found a rich variety of early therapsids. The name refers to Tapinocephalus, a genus of large herbivorous dinocephalian therapsids that lived during the Middle Permian Period.

Paleobiota

Synapsids

†Anomodonts

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Anomocephalus	A. africanus				A basal Anomodont	Anomocephalus

†Biarmosuchians

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Bullacephalus	B. jacksoni				A Burnetiid Biarmosuchian
Hipposaurus	H. boonstrai				A Hipposaurid Biarmosuchian	Hipposaurus
Pachydectes	P. elsi				A Burnetiid Biarmosuchian

†Dinocephalians

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Agnosaurus					Jr. synonym of Moschops
Anteosaurus	A. magnificus				An Anteosaurid Dinocephalian	Anteosaurus
Avenantia					Jr. synonym of Moschops
Criocephalosaurus	C. vanderbyli				A Tapinocephalid Dinocephalian
Delphinognathus					Jr. synonym of Moschops
Jonkeria	J. truculenta J. boonstrai J. haughtoni J. ingens J. koupensis J. parva J. rossouwi J. vanderbyli				A Titanosuchid Dinocephalian	Jonkeria
Keratocephalus	K. moloch				A Tapinocephalid Dinocephalian	Keratocephalus
Mormosaurus					Jr. synonym of Keratocephalus	Mormosaurus
Moschognathus					Jr. synonym of Moschops
Moschoides					Jr. synonym of Moschops
Moschops	M. capensis M. koupensis M. oweni? M. whaitsi?				A Tapinocephalid Dinocephalian	Moschops
Moschosaurus					Jr. synonym of Struthiocephalus
Pelosuchus					Jr. synonym of Keratocephalus
Phocosaurus					Jr. synonym of Tapinocephalus
Pnigalion					Jr. synonym of Moschops
Riebeeckosaurus	R. longirostris				A Tapinocephalid Dinocephalian	Riebeeckosaurus
Struthiocephalellus					Jr. synonym of Struthiocephalus
Struthiocephaloides					Jr. synonym of Struthiocephalus
Struthiocephalus	S. whaitsi				A Tapinocephalid Dinocephalian	Struthiocephalus
Struthionops					Jr. synonym of Struthiocephalus
Styracocephalus	S. platyrhynchus				A Styracocephalid Dinocephalian	Styracocephalus
Taurocephalus					Jr. synonym of Struthiocephalus	Taurocephalus
Taurops					Jr. synonym of Tapinocephalus
Tapinocephalus	T. atherstonei				A Tapinocephalid Dinocephalian	Tapinocephalus
Titanosuchus	T. ferox				A Titanosuchid Dinocephalian	Titanosuchus

†Gorgonopsians

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Eoarctops	E. vanderbyli				A basal Gorgonopsid	Eoarctops
Galesuchus	G. gracilis				A basal Gorgonopsid

Sauropsids

†Millerosaurs

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Eunotosaurus	E. africanus				An Eunotosaurid Millerosaur	Eunotosaurus

Procolophonomorphs

Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon		Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Notes	Images
Bradysaurus	B. baini B. seeleyi				A basal Pareiasaur	Bradysaurus
Embrithosaurus	E. alexanderi E. schwarzi E. strubeni				A basal Pareiasaur
Nochelesaurus	N. angustus				Jr. synonym of Embrithosaurus angustus

References

1. Rubidge, B.S. (2005). "Re-uniting lost continents – Fossil reptiles from the ancient Karoo and their wanderlust". South African Journal of Geology 108 (1): 135–172. doi:10.2113/108.1.135.
2. Selden, P.; and Nudds, J. (2011). "Karoo". Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems (2 ed.). Manson Publishing. pp. 104–122. ISBN 9781840761603.

External links

• South Africa at Palaeocritti