Titanophoneus
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| iTitanophoneus
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| Titanophoneus potens Efremov, 1938, |
Titanophoneus potens ("Potent Titanic murderer") was a carnivourous Therapsida of the Dinocephalia family related to the Estemmenosuchidae but living 5 million years later than Estemmenosuchus uralensis and Estemmenosuchus mirabilis. Found in Isheevo in Russia
An adult skull would have reached 80 cm with a heavy long snout, along with the long tail and short limbs shows the species to be a primitive therapsid unlike Inostrancevia who was more advanced. The structure of the limbs and the density of the bone are designed for a sprawling stance. The temporal opening is more advanced than Estemmenosuchidae but less advanced than Inostrancevia. Total length would be 285 cm.
The teeth are large with 12 large palate incisors followed by 2 canines and various smaller back teeth. The lower palate is the same as the upper but without the canine teeth. Titanophoneus 's appearance is reminescent to the sphenacodontid pelycosaurs, which included Dimetrodon.
[edit] References
Patricia Vickers-Rich and Thomas H. Rich, The Great Russian Dinosaurs, Guntar Graphics, 1993, p. 36
