Pylaecephalidae

Pylaecephalidae
Temporal range: Permian
Fossil of Diictodon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Therapsida
Suborder: Anomodontia
Clade: Dicynodontia
Family: Pylaecephalidae
van Hoepen, 1934
Type genus
Pylaecephalus
Van Hoepen, 1934
Genera
Synonyms
  • Diictodontidae Cluver and King, 1983
  • Robertiidae Cluver and King, 1983

Pylaecephalidae is a family of dicynodont therapsids that includes Diictodon, Robertia, and Prosictodon from the Permian of South Africa. Pylaecephalids were small burrowing dicynodonts with long tusks. The family was first named in 1934 and was redefined in 2009.[1] Diictodontidae and Robertiidae are considered junior synonyms of Pylaecephalidae;[2] although Pylaecephalus itself is considered a junior synonym of Diictodon,[3] the name Pylaecephalidae predates these names and therefore takes priority.[1]

  1. ^ a b Kammerer, C.F.; Angielczyk, K.D. (2009). "A proposed higher taxonomy of anomodont therapsids" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2018: 1–24.
  2. ^ Kenneth D. Angielczyk; Bruce S. Rubidge (2010). "A new pylaecephalid dicynodont (Therapsida, Anomodontia) from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone, Karoo Basin, Middle Permian of South Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (5): 1396–1409. Bibcode:2010JVPal..30.1396A. doi:10.1080/02724634.2010.501447. S2CID 129846697.
  3. ^ Sullivan, C., & Reisz, R. R. (2005). CRANIAL ANATOMY AND TAXONOMY OF THE LATE PERMIAN DICYNODONT DIICTODON. Annals of Carnegie Museum, 74(1), 45–75.