Gorgonops torvus

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Gorgonops torvus skull

Skull of Gorgonops torvus (after Broom 1912)

Gorgonops torvus was a medium-size therapsid from the Middle and Late Permian period of the Karoo Basin in South Africa (ca. 265-252 mya). Gorgonops, which means "Gorgon face," is in the class Synapsida, the order Therapsida, the suborder Gorgonopsida, and the family Gorgonopsidae.
Gorgonopsians are the most primitive of the three groups of theriodonts ("beast teeth") found in the Karoo Basin, the other two being therocephalians and cynodonts. Later, theriodonts survived the massive end-of-Permian extinction event and split into the two groups, therocephalians ("beast heads") who died out after the Early Triassic; and cynodonts ("dog teeth"), whose carnivorous forms became progressively smaller during the Triassic. By the Late Triassic the first mammals evolved from small, shrew-sized cynodonts called trithelodonts.
During the Late Permian, the gorgonopsians were a highly successful group, including a total of 25 genera and 41 species, from South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Malawi, as well as from Russia.
Gorgonops torvus, the type species of the genus, was first identified from a flattened skull found at Mildenhalls, Fort Beaufort, in the Karoo Basin. It was among the first of the therapsids to be described (Owen 1876). Later, more complete discoveries of the fossil taxa were made by Broom (1912). It is now classified as part of the Permian Tapinocephalus -Dicynodon Zones which date from 265-252 mya.
Gorgonops had a body length of 1.2-2 m, and a skull length of 22-25 cm. It had large canines and heterdonty (several distinct tooth types) including incisors, canines, and cheek teeth (molars). It had a large synapsid opening in the temporal region of the skull for the attachment of jaw muscles. It also had an incipient development of the two distinctively mammalian ear ossicles, the malleus and inca.

References:
Broom, R. 1912. On some new fossil reptiles from the Permian and Triassic beds of South Africa. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pp. 859-876.
Owen, R. 1876. Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia of South Africa in the Collection of the British Museum. London, British Museum

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	Gorgonops torvus skull Skull of Gorgonops torvus (after Broom 1912)

	Gorgonops torvus was a medium-size therapsid from the Middle and Late Permian period of the Karoo Basin in South Africa (ca. 265-252 mya). Gorgonops, which means "Gorgon face," is in the class Synapsida, the order Therapsida, the suborder Gorgonopsida, and the family Gorgonopsidae. Gorgonopsians are the most primitive of the three groups of theriodonts ("beast teeth") found in the Karoo Basin, the other two being therocephalians and cynodonts. Later, theriodonts survived the massive end-of-Permian extinction event and split into the two groups, therocephalians ("beast heads") who died out after the Early Triassic; and cynodonts ("dog teeth"), whose carnivorous forms became progressively smaller during the Triassic. By the Late Triassic the first mammals evolved from small, shrew-sized cynodonts called trithelodonts. During the Late Permian, the gorgonopsians were a highly successful group, including a total of 25 genera and 41 species, from South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Malawi, as well as from Russia. Gorgonops torvus, the type species of the genus, was first identified from a flattened skull found at Mildenhalls, Fort Beaufort, in the Karoo Basin. It was among the first of the therapsids to be described (Owen 1876). Later, more complete discoveries of the fossil taxa were made by Broom (1912). It is now classified as part of the Permian Tapinocephalus -Dicynodon Zones which date from 265-252 mya. Gorgonops had a body length of 1.2-2 m, and a skull length of 22-25 cm. It had large canines and heterdonty (several distinct tooth types) including incisors, canines, and cheek teeth (molars). It had a large synapsid opening in the temporal region of the skull for the attachment of jaw muscles. It also had an incipient development of the two distinctively mammalian ear ossicles, the malleus and inca. References: Broom, R. 1912. On some new fossil reptiles from the Permian and Triassic beds of South Africa. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pp. 859-876. Owen, R. 1876. Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia of South Africa in the Collection of the British Museum. London, British Museum
	Athena Review Image Archive™ Main index of Athena Review Copyright © 1996-2020 Rust Family Foundation (All Rights Reserved).

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Gorgonops torvus skull

Skull of Gorgonops torvus (after Broom 1912)

Gorgonops torvus was a medium-size therapsid from the Middle and Late Permian period of the Karoo Basin in South Africa (ca. 265-252 mya). Gorgonops, which means "Gorgon face," is in the class Synapsida, the order Therapsida, the suborder Gorgonopsida, and the family Gorgonopsidae.

During the Late Permian, the gorgonopsians were a highly successful group, including a total of 25 genera and 41 species, from South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Malawi, as well as from Russia.

References:

Broom, R. 1912. On some new fossil reptiles from the Permian and Triassic beds of South Africa. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pp. 859-876.

Owen, R. 1876. Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia of South Africa in the Collection of the British Museum. London, British Museum

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