Tapinocephalus

Tapinocephalus

Taxobox
name = "Tapinocephalus"
fossil_range = Middle Permian


regnum = Animalia
divisio = Amniota
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
superclassis = Tetrapoda
classis = Synapsida
ordo = Therapsida
subordo = Dinocephalia
familia = Tapinocephalidae
subfamilia = Tapinocephalinae
genus = "Tapinocephalus"
genus_authority = Owen, 1876
subdivision_ranks = Binomial name
subdivision = "Tapinocephalus atherstonei"
Owen 1876

"Tapinocephalus" is a genus of large herbivorous dinocephalian that lived during the Middle Permian Period. These stocky, barrel-bodied animals were characterised by a massive bony skull roof and short weak snout. It is thought that, like the rest of the members of its family, the animals engaged in head-butting intraspecific behavior, possibly for territory or mates. The fossil remains (skull and postcranial elements) of "Tapinocephalus" are known from the Lower, Middle, and Upper part of the "Tapinocephalus" Assemblage Zone ( Capitanian age) of the Lower Beaufort Beds of the South African Karoo. Only the type species, "T. atherstonei" is now considered valid for this genus.

In life, these animals were over 3 meters (10 ft) in length and weighed around 1.5 to 2 metric tonnes (1.6 to 2 short tons), making them among the largest animals of their time.

"Keratocephalus" and "Moschops" are closely related contemporary forms, of similar size and habits.

References

* Boonstra, L.D. 1956, "The skull of "Tapinocephalus" and its near relatives" "Annals of the South African Museum", 43 Part 3 pp. 137-169, 17 figs, plate 4.
* ----- 1969. The fauna of the "Tapinocephalus" Zone (Beaufort beds of the Karoo). "Ann. S. Afr. Mus." 56:1–73.
* King, Gillian M., 1988 "Anomodontia" Part 17 C, Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology, Gutsav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart and New York.

External links

* [http://www.palaeos.com/Vertebrates/Units/400Therapsida/650.html#Tapinocephalus Tapinocephalia - "Tapinocephalus"] - Palaeos


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