Theledectes

Theledectes
Temporal range: Middle Triassic, 245–241Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Procolophonomorpha
Family: Procolophonidae
Subfamily: Theledectinae
Genus: Theledectes
Modesto & Damiani, 2003
Type species
Theledectes perforatus
(Gow, 1977a [originally Thelegnathus perforatus])

Theledectes is an extinct genus of theledectine procolophonid parareptile from middle Triassic (early Anisian stage) deposits of Free State Province, South Africa. It is known from the holotype BP/1/4585, a skull. It was collected by the South African palaeontologist, James W. Kitching from Hugoskop in the Rouxville District and referred to subzone B of the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone of the Burgersdorp Formation, Beaufort Group (Karoo Basin). It was first named by Sean P. Modesto and Ross J. Damiani in 2003 and the type species is Theledectes perforatus. It was first assigned to a species of Thelegnathus (now considered to be a nomen dubium), Thelegnathus perforatus.[1]

Phylogeny

Cladogram after Cisneros, 2008:[2]

Procolophonidae

Coletta



Pintosaurus



Sauropareion




Phaanthosaurus



Theledectinae

"Eumetabolodon" dongshengensis



Theledectes





Tichvinskia




Procolophoninae



Leptopleuroninae







References

  1. Sean P. Modesto and Ross J. Damiani (2003). "Taxonomic status of Thelegnathus browni Broom, a procolophonid reptile from the South African Triassic". Annals of Carnegie Museum 72 (1): 53–64.
  2. Juan Carlos Cisneros (2008). "Phylogenetic relationships of procolophonid parareptiles with remarks on their geological record". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 6 (3): 345–366. doi:10.1017/S1477201907002350.