Lycaenops augusticeps + ornaturs

Athena Review Image Archive ^™
Lycaenops augusticeps and L. ornatus skulls

Skulls of Lycanenops augusticeps (top: Field Mus.Nat.Hist) & L. ornatus (bot: after Gebauer 2007).

Lycaenops was a medium-sized gorgonopsian from the Late Permian in South Africa. The name Lycaenops means "wolf face." It belongs to the class Synapsida, the order Therapsida, the suborder Gorgonopsia, and the family Gorgonopsidae.
Lycaenops angusticep, shown at top, was disovered by Broom in the Cistecephalus Zone of the Karoo Basin, dated at about 257-255 mya. The Holotype is AMNH 5537, at the American Museum of Natural History.
Lycaenops ornatus, shown at bottom, was found by Broom in 1920 near Biejespoort, South Africa. Stratigraphically, it was at the very top of the Endothiodon zone (256-254 mya), within the Teekloof Formation of the Karoo Basin.
The skull length of these dominant carnivores was 30 cm, while their body length was about 2 m. L. angusticeps (top) is characterized by a long and slender snout, compared to L.ornatus (bottom). Otherwise; their skull anatomy is similar.
Lycaenops and other gorgonopsids had enlarged canines, analagous to those of the much later saber-toothed cats (Smilodon fatalis) from the Late Pleistocene period. According to Gebauer (2007), Lycaenops and related Late Permian gorgonopsids occupied much the same ecological niche as the saber-tooth cats, as the top predators.

References:
Broom; R. 1913. On a nearly perfect skull of a new species of the gorgonopsia: Annals of the South African Museum; v. 12; part 1; p. 8-10.
Broom, R. 1930. On the structure of the mammal-like reptiles of the sub-order Gorgonopsia. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, Ser. B, 218, pp. 345-371.
Colbert, E.H. 1948. The mammal-like reptile Lycaenops. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 89, pp. 357-404.
Gebauer, E.V.I. 2007. Phylogeny and evolution of the Gorgonopsia with a special reference to the skull and skeleton of GPIT/RE/7113 ('Aelurognathus?' parringtoni) Ph.D. thesis, Tübingen: Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen.
.

Athena Review Image Archive™   Main index of Athena Review

Copyright © 1996-2020 Rust Family Foundation (All Rights Reserved).

	*Athena Review Image Archive* ^™
	Lycaenops augusticeps and L. ornatus skulls Skulls of Lycanenops augusticeps (top: Field Mus.Nat.Hist) & L. ornatus (bot: after Gebauer 2007).

	Lycaenops was a medium-sized gorgonopsian from the Late Permian in South Africa. The name Lycaenops means "wolf face." It belongs to the class Synapsida, the order Therapsida, the suborder Gorgonopsia, and the family Gorgonopsidae. Lycaenops angusticep, shown at top, was disovered by Broom in the Cistecephalus Zone of the Karoo Basin, dated at about 257-255 mya. The Holotype is AMNH 5537, at the American Museum of Natural History. Lycaenops ornatus, shown at bottom, was found by Broom in 1920 near Biejespoort, South Africa. Stratigraphically, it was at the very top of the Endothiodon zone (256-254 mya), within the Teekloof Formation of the Karoo Basin. The skull length of these dominant carnivores was 30 cm, while their body length was about 2 m. L. angusticeps (top) is characterized by a long and slender snout, compared to L.ornatus (bottom). Otherwise; their skull anatomy is similar. Lycaenops and other gorgonopsids had enlarged canines, analagous to those of the much later saber-toothed cats (Smilodon fatalis) from the Late Pleistocene period. According to Gebauer (2007), Lycaenops and related Late Permian gorgonopsids occupied much the same ecological niche as the saber-tooth cats, as the top predators. References: Broom; R. 1913. On a nearly perfect skull of a new species of the gorgonopsia: Annals of the South African Museum; v. 12; part 1; p. 8-10. Broom, R. 1930. On the structure of the mammal-like reptiles of the sub-order Gorgonopsia. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, Ser. B, 218, pp. 345-371. Colbert, E.H. 1948. The mammal-like reptile Lycaenops. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 89, pp. 357-404. Gebauer, E.V.I. 2007. Phylogeny and evolution of the Gorgonopsia with a special reference to the skull and skeleton of GPIT/RE/7113 ('Aelurognathus?' parringtoni) Ph.D. thesis, Tübingen: Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen. .
	Athena Review Image Archive™ Main index of Athena Review Copyright © 1996-2020 Rust Family Foundation (All Rights Reserved).

Athena Review Image Archive ™

Lycaenops augusticeps and L. ornatus skulls

Skulls of Lycanenops augusticeps (top: Field Mus.Nat.Hist) & L. ornatus (bot: after Gebauer 2007).

Lycaenops was a medium-sized gorgonopsian from the Late Permian in South Africa. The name Lycaenops means "wolf face." It belongs to the class Synapsida, the order Therapsida, the suborder Gorgonopsia, and the family Gorgonopsidae.

Lycaenops angusticep, shown at top, was disovered by Broom in the Cistecephalus Zone of the Karoo Basin, dated at about 257-255 mya. The Holotype is AMNH 5537, at the American Museum of Natural History.

Lycaenops ornatus, shown at bottom, was found by Broom in 1920 near Biejespoort, South Africa. Stratigraphically, it was at the very top of the Endothiodon zone (256-254 mya), within the Teekloof Formation of the Karoo Basin.

The skull length of these dominant carnivores was 30 cm, while their body length was about 2 m. L. angusticeps (top) is characterized by a long and slender snout, compared to L.ornatus (bottom). Otherwise; their skull anatomy is similar.

References:

Broom; R. 1913. On a nearly perfect skull of a new species of the gorgonopsia: Annals of the South African Museum; v. 12; part 1; p. 8-10.

Broom, R. 1930. On the structure of the mammal-like reptiles of the sub-order Gorgonopsia. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, Ser. B, 218, pp. 345-371.

Colbert, E.H. 1948. The mammal-like reptile Lycaenops. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 89, pp. 357-404.

Gebauer, E.V.I. 2007. Phylogeny and evolution of the Gorgonopsia with a special reference to the skull and skeleton of GPIT/RE/7113 ('Aelurognathus?' parringtoni) Ph.D. thesis, Tübingen: Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen.

Athena Review Image Archive ^™