Mycterosaurus

Not to be confused with Mycterosuchus.

Mycterosaurus
Temporal range: Early Permian, 290.1–272.5 Ma
Life restoration of Mycterosaurus longcipes
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Family: †Varanopidae
Subfamily: †Mycterosaurinae
Genus: †Mycterosaurus
Williston, 1915
Type species
†Mycterosaurus longiceps
Williston, 1915

Mycterosaurus (Greek as mykter/mykteros meaning nose/snout, sauros meaning “lizard”[1]) is an extinct genus of amniotes belonging to the family Varanopidae. It is classified in the varanopid subfamily Mycterosaurinae. Mycterosaurus is the most primitive member of its family, existing from 290.1 to 272.5 MYA,[2] known to Texas [3] and Oklahoma.[4][2] It lacks some features that its advanced relatives have.

Mycterosaurus is a relatively small carnivore, estimated to be around 60 cm (23 inches) long with synonyms of Eumatthevia bolli, and possibly Basicranodon fortsillensis.[2] Restored, Mycterosaurus appears spindly and grotesque in contrast to the majority of "pelycosaurs" in its proportions and especially unlike edaphosaurids, which are commonly stocky in build.[5]

The number of valid Mycterosaurus species have varied over the years, with a total of two classifications of Mycterosaurus longiceps[3] and Mycterosaurus smithae. [6] However, recent analysis has led to a re-description of Mycterosaurus smithae.[7]

  1. ^ Jaeger, Edmund C (1960). A Source - Book of Biological Names and Terms. Vol. 6.
  2. ^ a b c "Fossilworks: Mycterosaurus longiceps". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b Williston, Samuel Wendell (September 1915). "A New Genus and Species of American Theromorpha: Mycterosaurus longiceps". The Journal of Geology. 23 (6): 554–559. Bibcode:1915JG.....23..554W. doi:10.1086/622271 – via JSTOR.
  4. ^ Maddin, Hillary C.; Evans, David C.; Reisz, Robert R. (2006-12-11). "An Early Permian varanodontine varanopid (Synapsida: Eupelycosauria) from the Richards Spur locality, Oklahoma". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 26 (4): 957–966. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[957:aepvvs]2.0.co;2. ISSN 0272-4634.
  5. ^ Romer, Alfred Sherwood; Price, Llewellyn Ivor (6 December 1940). "Review of the Pelycosauria". Geological Society of America Special Papers: 405–412 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Lewis, George Edward; Vaughn, Peter Paul (1965). "Early Permian Vertebrates from the Cutler Formation of the Placerville Area Colorado". Geological Survey Professional Paper: C34–C39 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Brocklehurst, Neil; Reisz, Robert R; Fernandez, Vincent; Fröbisch, Jörg (22 June 2016). "A Re-Description of 'Mycterosaurus' smithae, an Early Permian Eothyridid, and Its Impact on the Phylogeny of Pelycosaurian-Grade Synapsids". PLOS ONE. 11 (6): e0156810. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1156810B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156810. PMC 4917111. PMID 27333277.