Pelanomodon

Pelanomodon Temporal range: Late Permian, 259–252 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Restoration
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Clade:	Therapsida
Suborder:	†Anomodontia
Clade:	†Dicynodontia
Family:	†Geikiidae
Genus:	†Pelanomodon Broom, 1938
Type species
†P. moschops (Broom, 1913) (originally Dicynodon moschops)
Synonyms
†Dicynodon tylorhinus Broom, 1913 †Pelanomodon rubidgei Broom, 1938 †Dicynodon sidneyi Broom, 1940 †Pelanomodon halli Broom, 1950 †Pelanomodon kitchingi Broom and George, 1950 †Propelanomodon devilliersi Toerien, 1955

Pelanomodon is an extinct genus of dicynodont therapsids that lived in the Late Permian period. Fossil evidence of this genus is principally found in the Karoo Basin of South Africa, in the Dicynodon Assemblage Zone.^[1] Lack of fossil record after the Late Permian epoch suggests that Pelanomodon fell victim to the Permian-Triassic extinction event.

The name Pelanomodon can be broken up into three parts; “pelos” meaning mud, “anomo” meaning irregular and “odon” meaning tooth. Together, this suggests Pelanomodon to be a mud dwelling anomodont (a group of therapsids that are characterized by their lack of teeth).^[2] The Karoo Basin during this period was characterized by its extensive flood plains,^[3] so to hypothesize a mud based habitat for this genus is not far fetched.

Pelanomodon is in the family Geikiidae along with Aulacephalodon and Geikia. Aulacephalodon is believed to have lived alongside Pelanomodon in the Karoo Basin, where as records of Geikia have been discovered in Scotland and Tanzania. Pelanomodon is primarily characterized and distinguished from Aulacephalodon by its lack of tusks.^[1] Other cranial features have been used by paleontologists to establish two species of Pelanomodon; P. moschops and P. rubidgei. However, recent analysis points to the conclusion that these may in fact the same species.^[1]