Akidnognathidae

Akidnognathidae
Temporal range: Late Permian - Early Triassic 254–247 Ma
Holotype skull of Jiufengia jiai
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Therapsida
Clade: Therocephalia
Clade: Eutherocephalia
Family: Akidnognathidae
Haughton & Brink, 1954
(Nopcsa, 1928)
Genera
List
Synonyms
  • Euchambersiidae Boonstra, 1934
  • Annatherapsididae Kuhn, 1963
  • Moschorhinidae Mendrez, 1974

Akidnognathidae is an extinct family of therocephalian therapsids from the Late Permian and Early Triassic of South Africa, Russia and China. The family includes many large-bodied therocephalians that were probably carnivorous, including Moschorhinus and Olivierosuchus. One akidnognathid, Euchambersia, may even have been venomous. Akidnognathids have robust skulls with a pair of large caniniform teeth in their upper jaws. The family is morphologically intermediate between the more basal therocephalian group Scylacosauridae and the more derived group Baurioidea.