Titanosuchidae

Titanosuchidae Temporal range: Middle Permian, 270–260 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Life restoration of Titanosuchus ferox
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Order:	Therapsida
Suborder:	†Dinocephalia
Clade:	†Titanosuchia Broom
Family:	†Titanosuchidae Broom, 1903
Genera
†Titanosuchus †Jonkeria †Archaeosuchus †Lamiasaurus †Dinartamus †Enobius †Dinocynodon †Scullya

The titanosuchids were carnivorous to omnivorous (herbivorous?) tapinocephalian dinocephalians. As with other tapinocephalians, they had thick skulls probably for head-butting. They had large canine teeth, and their incisors were very strong. Titanosuchids are related to other dinocephalians, such as the Tapinocephalidae - a group that includes Moschops. The most famous titanosuchids are Jonkeria and Titanosuchus.

References

• L. D. Boonstra, "The Fauna of the Tapinocephalus Zone (Beaufort Beds of the Karoo)", Annals of the South African Museum, 56 (1) 1969, pp. 1–73
• Carroll, R. L. Vertebrate paleontology and evolution. -W. H. Freeman and company, New York, 1988
• Edwin H. Colbert, Evolution of the Vertebrates, 2nd edition, 1969, John Wiley & Sons
• James A. Hopson and Herbert R. Barghusen, "An Analysis of Therapsid Relationships", in The Ecology and Biology of Mammal-Like Reptiles ed. by Nocholas Hotton III, Paul D. MacLean, Jan J. Roth and E. Carol Roth, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London, 1986, pp. 83–106
• Gillian M. King, "Anomodontia" Part 17 C, Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology, Gutsav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart and New York, 1988

External links

• Titanosuchidae at Kheper website.