Cynognathus

Cynognathus
Temporal range: Triassic
Cynognathus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Synapsida
Order:
Therapsida
Suborder:
Cynodontia
Family:
Cynognathidae
Genus:
Cynognathus
Binomial name
Cynognathus crateronotus

Cynognathus is a therapsid that was the size of a wolf. This predator lived on open plains during the early to middle Triassic period, roughly 230-245 million years ago. It was probably warm-blooded, and females may have given birth to live young. Fossils have been found in South Africa and Argentina with four other creatures of the time: Lystrosaurus, Proterosuchus, Euparkeria and Erythrosuchus.

Anatomy

Locomotion

Cynognathus' limbs were likely partially splayed out to the side, this is called semi-sprawling limbs. Semi-sprawling limbs are a step away from sprawling limbs, which allows for greater speed and stamina.

Jaw

Cynognathus is a Cynodont, which means it has differentiated teeth, for different functions, unlike some of the first Synapsids. This allows Cynognathus to bite and tear it's food more easily and fast.

Phylogeny (Evolution Tree)

Cynognathus was in a clade called Cynognathia, a sister group to Probainognathia. This means it was not a mammal.

Below is Cyngonathus' family tree(cladogram):

Eucynodonts

References

  1. ↑ Preuschoft, Holger; Krahl, Anna; Werneburg, Ingmar (2022-10-05). "From sprawling to parasagittal locomotion in Therapsida: A preliminary study of historically collected museum specimens". Vertebrate Zoology. 72: 907–936. doi:10.3897/vz.72.e85989. ISSN 2625-8498.
  2. ↑ "Cynodont teeth from the Carnian (Late Triassic) of northern Italy - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica". www.app.pan.pl. Retrieved 2026-02-23.