Cranial morphology and phylogenetic analysis of Cynosaurus suppostus (Therapsida, Cynodontia) from the upper Permian of the Karoo Basin, South Africa

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dc.contributor.authorvan den Brandt, Marc
dc.contributor.authorAbdala, Fernando
dc.date.accessioned2018-03-26T14:52:23Z
dc.date.available2018-03-26T14:52:23Z
dc.date.issued2018-03
dc.description.abstractNon-mammaliaform cynodonts are an important fossil lineage which include the ancestors of mammals and which illustrate the gradual evolution of mammalian characteristics. The earliest cynodonts (‘basal cynodonts’) are known from the late Permian. Cynosaurus suppostus is the second most abundant basal cynodont from the late Permian of the Karoo Basin of SouthAfrica, but is poorly studied, with the most recent description of this taxon being 50 years old. Since then, several important new specimens of this species have been collected, meriting a thorough description of its cranial anatomy and exploration of its interspecific variation. Here we present a comprehensive description of the cranial morphology of Cynosaurus suppostus, producing an updated diagnosis for the species and comparisons amongst basal cynodonts. Cynosaurus is identified by three autapomorphies amongst basal cynodonts: a subvertical mentum on the anterior lower jaw; a robust mandible with a relatively high horizontal ramus; and the broadest snout across the canine region, representing up to 31.74% of basal skull length. One of the new specimens described here preserves orbital scleral ossicles, structures rarely preserved in non-mammaliaform cynodonts. Cynosaurus is now only the third cynodont in which scleral ossicles have been reported.Anupdated phylogenetic analysis of basal cynodont interrelationships recovered Cynosaurus suppostus as a member of the Galesauridae in only two of 16 most parsimonious trees, providing poor support for its inclusion in that family. The majority of known Cynosaurus specimens were collected in a geographically restricted area approximately 150 kilometres in diameter. Most specimens have been recovered from the latest Permian Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone, with only two specimens known from the older Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianJNCen_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Research Foundation (NRF) student assistant researcher grant under the African Origins Programme of Bruce Rubidgeen_ZA
dc.funderPalaeontological Scientific Trust; DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Palaeosciencesen_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2410-4418
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/24254
dc.journal.titlePalaeontologia africanaen_ZA
dc.journal.volume52en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherEvolutionary Studies Instituteen_ZA
dc.rightsCoen_ZA
dc.subjectCynodontiaen_ZA
dc.subjectlate Permianen_ZA
dc.subjectKaroo Basinen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africaen_ZA
dc.titleCranial morphology and phylogenetic analysis of Cynosaurus suppostus (Therapsida, Cynodontia) from the upper Permian of the Karoo Basin, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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