Gorgonopsia
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 Gorgonops whaitsi attacking Titanosuchus ferox
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Gorgonopsia ("Gorgon face") is a suborder of synapsids. Cladistically, synapsids include mammals, although they were previously considered reptiles. Their name is a reference to the Gorgons of Greek mythology, renowned for their power.
They are officially recognised as mammal-like reptiles, although more and more they are being considered as reptile-like mammals, due to the large number of mammalian adaptations, and very few remaining reptile-like traits. Their mammalian specialisations include differentiated tooth shape, the fully developed temporal fenestra, pillar-like rear legs and even ear bones. Gorgonopsians are a part of a special group of therapsids called theriodonts, which included mammals. The gorgonopsians are one of the three groups of theriodonts (the other two were the therocephalians, and the cynodonts).
They were among the largest carnivores of the late Permian. The largest known, Inostrancevia, was the size of a large bear with a 45cm long skull, and 12cm long sabre-like teeth (clearly an adaptation to being a carnivore).
The group perished during the end Permian mass extinction.
They are related to the herbivorous Anomodontia ("anomaly tooth" -referring to their bizarre teeth that have been adapted from meat-tearing carnassials to a unique plant-shearing design.)
Gorgonopsia includes three subfamilies, the Gorgonopsinae, Rubidgeinae and Inostranceviinae, plus a larger number of genera that have not been placed in any of these groups. A total of 25 genera and 41 species, with the genera described most completely being Dinogorgon, Inostrancevia and Rubidgea.
The most comprehensive review of the group is by Sigogneau-Russell, 1989. However, there has not been a detailed cladistic assessment of the phylogeny of these animals.
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[edit] Evolutionary history
Gorgonopsids (Gorgonopsia) are theriodonts, in turn they are therapsids. Gorgonopsians evolved from a reptile-like therapsid that lived in the Middle Permian. The early gorgonopsians were small, being no larger than a dog. The extinction of dinocephalians (who dominated the Middle Permian world) led the gorgonopsians to be the dominant predators. In the Late Permian many gorgonopsians grew to the size of large dogs and cows. Some approached the size of a rhinoceros, such as Inostrancevia, the largest of the Gorgonopsians. The Gorgonopsia became extinct at the end of the Permian period.
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[edit] Taxonomy
- Order Therapsida
- SUBORDER GORGONOPSIA
- Family Gorgonopsidae
- Aelurognathus
- Aelurosaurus
- Aloposaurus
- Arctognathus
- Arctops
- Broomisaurus
- Cephalicustroidus
- Cerdorhinus
- Clelandina
- Cyanosaurus
- Dinogorgon
- Eoarctops
- Galesuchus
- Gorgonops
- Leontocephalus
- Lycaenops
- Paragalerhinus
- Scylacognathus
- Sycosaurus
- Subfamily Gorgonopsinae
- Sauroctonus
- Scylacops
- Subfamily Rubidgeinae
- Broomicephalus
- Niuksenitia
- Prorubidgea
- Rubidgea
- Subfamily Inostranceviinae
- Pravoslavleria
- Inostrancevia
- Family Gorgonopsidae
[edit] References
- Bakker, R.T. (1986), The Dinosaur Heresies, Kensington Publishing Corp.
- Cox, B. and Savage, R.J.G. and Gardiner, B. and Harrison, C. and Palmer, D. (1988) The Marshall illustrated encyclopedia of dinosaurs & prehistoric animals, 2nd Edition, Marshall Publishing
- Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A. (1958) The Fossil Book, Doubleday Publishing
- Hore, P.M. (2005), The Dinosaur Age, Issue #18. National Dinosaur Museum
- Sigogneau-Russell, D., 1989, "Theriodontia I - Phthinosuchia, Biarmosuchia, Eotitanosuchia, Gorgonopsia" Part 17 B I, Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology, Gutsav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart and New York
- Ward, P.D. (2004), Gorgon, Viking Penguin
