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