Elph (genus)

Elph
Temporal range: Late Permian, 258Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Order: Therapsida
Clade: Chainosauria
Infraorder: Dicynodontia
Genus: Elph
Kurkin, 1999
Species
  • E. borealis Kurkin, 1999 (type)

Elph is a genus of dicynodont therapsid from Russia. Four specimens have been found from the Sokolki Assemblage in European Russia, representing a fauna that dates back to the Late Permian.[1] Elph was a small herbivore that lived alongside carnivorous akidnognathids and inostranceviids, as well as larger herbivores like Dicynodon and pareiasaurids.[2] The type species E. borealis was named in 1999. Elph has a short snout and tusks and is closely related to Interpresosaurus and Katumbia.[3]

References

  1. Angielczyk, K.D.; Kurkin, A.A. (2003). "Phylogenetic analysis of Russian Permian dicynodonts (Therapsida: Anomodontia): implications for Permian biostratigraphy and Pangaean biogeography". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 139 (2): 157–212. doi:10.1046/j.1096-3642.2003.00081.x.
  2. Golubev, V.K. (2000). "The faunal assemblages of Permian terrestrial vertebrates from Eastern Europe" (PDF). Paleontological Journal 34 (Suppl. 2): S211–S224.
  3. Angielczyk, K.D. (2007). "New specimens of the Tanzanian dicynodont "Cryptocynodon" parringtoni Von Huene, 1942 (Therapsida, Anomodontia), with an expanded analysis of Permian dicynodont phylogeny". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27 (1): 116–131. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[116:NSOTTD]2.0.CO;2.