Howesia

Howesia
Temporal range: Early–Middle Triassic, Olenekian–early Anisian
Photograph (top) and μCT rendering (bottom) of SAM-PK-K10180, a skull of H. browni
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: †Rhynchosauria
Genus: †Howesia
Broom, 1905
Species

Howesia is an extinct genus of basal rhynchosaur from early Middle Triassic (early Anisian stage) deposits of Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is known from the holotype. SAM-PK-5884 (a partial skeleton with palate and partial lower jaws), two paratypes (SAM-PK-5885 and SAM-PK-5886). The known fossils were found in the Burgersdorp Formation of the middle deposits of the Beaufort Group (Karoo Basin) and referred to Subzone B of the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone. The genus contains a single species, Howesia browni, named by Robert Broom in 1905, after Alfred Brown. The contemporary Eohyosaurus wolvaardti (holotype SAM-PK-K10159) has been suggested to be a junior synonym of H. browni based on shared anatomical traits not recognized when the former was named in 2015.

Classification

Life restoration

The placement of Howesia as a basal member of the Rhynchosauria is shown in the cladogram below, following the phylogenetic results of Spiekman et al. (2026).

†Rhynchosauria

References

  1. ↑ David M. Dilkes (1995). "The rhynchosaur Howesia browni from the Lower Triassic of South Africa". Palaeontology. 38: 665–685.
  2. ↑ Richard J. Butler; Martín D. Ezcurra; Felipe C. Montefeltro; Adun Samathi; Gabriela Sobral (2015). "A new species of basal rhynchosaur (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha) from the early Middle Triassic of South Africa, and the early evolution of Rhynchosauria". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 174 (3): 571–588. doi:10.1111/zoj.12246. hdl:11449/167867.
  3. ↑ Robert Broom (1905). "Preliminary notice of some new fossil Reptiles collected by Mr. Alfred Brown at Aliwal North, S. Africa". Records of the Albany Museum. 1 (4): 269–275.
  4. 1 2 Spiekman, Stephan N. F.; Browning, Claire; Tshibalanganda, Muofhe; Mukherjee, Debarati; Smith, Roger M. H.; Du Plessis, Anton; Wolvaardt, Frederik (2026-07-09). "Micro‐CT informed cranial anatomy of the early rhynchosaur Howesia browni, with implications for rhynchosaur skull evolution". Papers in Palaeontology. 12 (4). doi:10.1002/spp2.70105. ISSN 2056-2799.