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The Origin and Evolution of Mammals - Moodle

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34 THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF MAMMALS<br />

related respectively to more advanced carnivore <strong>and</strong><br />

herbivore therapsid taxa (Watson <strong>and</strong> Romer 1956).<br />

However, later work made it clear that the similarities<br />

between the carnivores are plesiomorphic, <strong>and</strong><br />

the Dinocephalia have been recognised as a welldefined<br />

monophyletic taxon. <strong>The</strong> characters that<br />

define the group include the following.<br />

1. Incisor teeth bearing a slight heel on the lingual<br />

face at the base <strong>of</strong> the crown. Uppers <strong>and</strong> lowers<br />

interdigitate, but this also occurs in biarmosuchians<br />

<strong>and</strong> gorgonopsians, so is probably a primitive therapsids<br />

character.<br />

(b)<br />

(a)<br />

2. Enlargement <strong>of</strong> the temporal fenestra in such a<br />

way that temporal musculature attachment exp<strong>and</strong>s<br />

upwards <strong>and</strong> forwards onto the dorsal surface <strong>of</strong> the<br />

parietal <strong>and</strong> postorbital bones.<br />

3. Forwards shift in the jaw articulation, shortening<br />

the length <strong>of</strong> the jaw.<br />

4. A strong tendency towards thickening <strong>of</strong> the<br />

skull bones, to the point <strong>of</strong> heavy pachyostosis in<br />

many forms.<br />

<strong>The</strong> relationships <strong>of</strong> the Dinocephalia to other therapsid<br />

groups has also been a matter <strong>of</strong> some debate,<br />

particularly as many <strong>of</strong> their characteristics are<br />

Titanophoneus<br />

Moschops<br />

Figure 3.9 (left) Dinocephalians. Postcranial skeleton <strong>of</strong> (a) Titanophoneus potens. (Orlov). (b) Moschops, total length about 2.5 m (Sues 1986b,<br />

modified from Gregory). (right) Dinocephalians. Skulls <strong>of</strong> (c) Syodon efremovi (Orlov, modified by Battail <strong>and</strong> Surkov 2000) (d) Jonkeria v<strong>and</strong>erbyli with<br />

lower jaw <strong>of</strong> J. truculenta (King 1988, modified from Broom). (e) Anteosaurus magnificus (King 1988, modified from Boonstra). (f) Ulemosaurus<br />

svigagensis, with enlarged view <strong>of</strong> incisor teeth <strong>and</strong> their interlocking action (King 1988, <strong>and</strong> Kemp 1982, from Efremov).

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