Eotitanosuchidae: Difference between revisions
Tom.Reding (talk | contribs) m Removed Category:Fossil taxa described in 1960: out of category scope |
m down.The->down. The - Fix a typo in one click |
||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
==Characteristics== |
==Characteristics== |
||
The Eotitanosuchians seem to be more advanced than the [[Biarmosuchia]] in that the [[temporal opening]] behind the [[eye socket]]—although small—is still somewhat larger than the biarmosuchians; it is expanded in the upper rear ([[wikt:posterodorsal|posterodorsal]]) margin, allowing the area of attachment of the [[adduction|adductor]] ([[muscles of mastication|jaw closing]]) muscles to be visible from the [[dorsal (anatomy)|dorsal]] (top) view looking down.The eotitanosuchian bite was stronger and more efficient than the biarmosuchian bite. For this reason, some paleontologists see the eotitanosuchids as transitional between the biarmosuchians and higher [[therapsid]]s. It is at least as likely that features of a larger temporal opening—and hence increased [[muscle mass]] and [[biting]] power—evolved simultaneously among a number of early therapsid groups, due to the obvious advantages this adaptation conferred. One must be wary in applying [[cladistic]] methodology to characteristics that are likely to evolve simultaneously among many competing lineages. In other respects the eotitanosuchians are quite primitive; they were the least modified in their [[jaw]] apparatus from their [[sphenacodont]] ancestry. |
The Eotitanosuchians seem to be more advanced than the [[Biarmosuchia]] in that the [[temporal opening]] behind the [[eye socket]]—although small—is still somewhat larger than the biarmosuchians; it is expanded in the upper rear ([[wikt:posterodorsal|posterodorsal]]) margin, allowing the area of attachment of the [[adduction|adductor]] ([[muscles of mastication|jaw closing]]) muscles to be visible from the [[dorsal (anatomy)|dorsal]] (top) view looking down. The eotitanosuchian bite was stronger and more efficient than the biarmosuchian bite. For this reason, some paleontologists see the eotitanosuchids as transitional between the biarmosuchians and higher [[therapsid]]s. It is at least as likely that features of a larger temporal opening—and hence increased [[muscle mass]] and [[biting]] power—evolved simultaneously among a number of early therapsid groups, due to the obvious advantages this adaptation conferred. One must be wary in applying [[cladistic]] methodology to characteristics that are likely to evolve simultaneously among many competing lineages. In other respects the eotitanosuchians are quite primitive; they were the least modified in their [[jaw]] apparatus from their [[sphenacodont]] ancestry. |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 21:47, 22 November 2019
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
| Eotitanosuchidae Temporal range: Wordian,
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Life restoration of the eotitanosuchid Eotitanosuchus olsoni | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Clade: | Therapsida |
| Suborder: | †Biarmosuchia |
| Infraorder: | †Eotitanosuchia Boonstra, 1963 |
| Family: | †Eotitanosuchidae Tchudinov, 1960 |
| Type species | |
| †Eotitanosuchus olsoni Tchudinov, 1960
| |
| Genera | |
Eotitanosuchidae is an extinct family of biarmosuchian therapsids. The Eotitanosuchidae were large predatory therapsids of the Wordian epoch. It was once considered to belong to a separate infraorder of therapsids called Eotitanosuchia.
Characteristics
The Eotitanosuchians seem to be more advanced than the Biarmosuchia in that the temporal opening behind the eye socket—although small—is still somewhat larger than the biarmosuchians; it is expanded in the upper rear (posterodorsal) margin, allowing the area of attachment of the adductor (jaw closing) muscles to be visible from the dorsal (top) view looking down. The eotitanosuchian bite was stronger and more efficient than the biarmosuchian bite. For this reason, some paleontologists see the eotitanosuchids as transitional between the biarmosuchians and higher therapsids. It is at least as likely that features of a larger temporal opening—and hence increased muscle mass and biting power—evolved simultaneously among a number of early therapsid groups, due to the obvious advantages this adaptation conferred. One must be wary in applying cladistic methodology to characteristics that are likely to evolve simultaneously among many competing lineages. In other respects the eotitanosuchians are quite primitive; they were the least modified in their jaw apparatus from their sphenacodont ancestry.
References
External links
- Therapsida: Biarmosuchia at Palaeos
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
 | This therapsid-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |