Sinophoneus

Sinophoneus Temporal range: Middle Permian, 270Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Restoration of Sinophoneus yumenensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Order:	Therapsida
Suborder:	†Dinocephalia
Family:	†Anteosauridae
Subfamily:	†Anteosaurinae
Genus:	†Sinophoneus Cheng and Ji, 1996
Type species
†Sinophoneus yumenensis Cheng and Ji, 1996
Synonyms
Stenocybus acidentatus Cheng and Li, 1997

Sinophoneus is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsid in the family Anteosauridae. A single fossilized skull (GMV 1601) has been found from the Middle Permian Xidagou Formation of China.^[1]

Description

Restoration of Sinophoneus based on IGCAGS V 361, originally classified as Stenocybus acidentatus

Sinophoneus is characterized by a wide snout and by a ridge that runs along the midline of the skull between the eye sockets. The anteosaur Stenocybus acidentatus has also been named from the Xidagou Formation on the basis of a skull (IGCAGS V 361) and fragmentary jaw bones, but likely represents a juvenile form of Sinophoneus. Juvenile features include its smaller size, larger eye sockets and taller skull. Both GMV 1601 and IGCAGS V 361 have large rounded snouts, distinguishing them from most other anteosaurs and suggesting that they are closely related.^[2]

References