Premium
DOLICHURANUS PRIMAEVUS (THERAPSIDA: ANOMODONTIA) FROM THE MIDDLE TRIASSIC OF NAMIBIA AND ITS PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS
Author(s) -
DAMIANI ROSS,
VASCONCELOS CECÍLIO,
RENAUT ALAIN,
HANCOX JOHN,
YATES ADAM
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
palaeontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.69
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1475-4983
pISSN - 0031-0239
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2007.00727.x
Subject(s) - paleontology , autapomorphy , clade , monophyly , taxon , permian , early triassic , holotype , sister group , geology , phylogenetic tree , biology , zoology , taxonomy (biology) , structural basin , biochemistry , gene
Dicynodont therapsids were near‐ubiquitous components of Permo‐Triassic terrestrial faunas, but the morphology of many of the nominal species remains poorly understood. Here we provide a detailed redescription of the cranium of the poorly known Dolichuranus primaevus from the Middle Triassic Omingonde Formation of Namibia, based on both the holotype and previously undescribed referred specimens. We identify a number of autapomorphic characters of D. primaevus and provide a revised taxon diagnosis. A phylogenetic analysis of Permian and Triassic dicynodonts indicates that most Triassic dicynodonts form a monophyletic clade. Within the Triassic clade Kannemeyerioidea, Dolichuranus is the sister taxon of a clade consisting of the stahleckeriids Stahleckeria and Ischigualastia from the Middle and Upper Triassic of South America, respectively.