Robertia

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Robertia
Fossil range: Late Permian, 260 mya
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Synapsida
Order: Therapsida
Suborder: Anomodontia
Infraorder: Dicynodontia
Family: Robertidae
Genus: Robertia
Species: R. broomiana
Binomial name
Robertia broomiana

Robertia broomiana was a small, primitive dicynodont; among the earlier members of the group. It is known from the Tapinocephalus assemblage zone of the South African Karoo, and was about 20 cm in length. It is characterised by a moderately wide skull roof, small postcanine teeth, and the palatine bone in the roof of the mouth not as reduced as in its more successful relative Diictodon. Immediately in front of the tusk-like canines on the upper jaw is a notch, which would presumably hold tough plant matter like stems and twigs before these were severed by the horny beak.


[edit] References

  • Cox, B., Savage, R.J.G., Gardiner, B., Harrison, C. and Palmer, D. (1988) The Marshall illustrated encyclopedia of dinosaurs & prehistoric animals, 2nd Edition, Marshall Publishing
  • King, Gillian M., 1990, the Dicynodonts: A Study in Palaeobiology, Chapman and Hall, London and New York