Dinogorgon

Dinogorgon Temporal range: Late Permian 259–254 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Holotype skull of D. rubidgei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Order:	Therapsida
Family:	†Gorgonopsidae
Tribe:	†Rubidgeini
Genus:	†Dinogorgon Broom, 1936
Type species
†Dinogorgon rubidgei Broom, 1936
Synonyms
Dinogorgon quinquemolaris Huene, 1950 Dinogorgon oudebergensis Brink & Kitching, 1953 Prorubidgea robusta Brink & Kitching, 1953 Rubidgea quinquemolaris Gebauer, 2007

Restoration of D. rubidgei

Dinogorgon ("terrible gorgon") is an extinct genus of rubidgeine gorgonopsian from the Late Permian of South Africa and Tanzania. Dinogorgon was a 2 m (6 ft) long predator that preyed on reptiles and smaller therapsids.^[1] It is a member of the tribe Rubidgeini.^[2]

Description

Like more derived rubidgeines, Dinogorgon has a number of massive bosses and rugosities on its skull, likely to reduce the stresses caused by struggling prey. Its snout was deep but narrow, similar to Aelurognathus but narrower than Rubidgea and Clelandina. It had 4-5 upper and lower postcanine teeth, which further distinguishes it from Rubidgea.^[2]

Classification

Dinogorgon shares many characteristics with Rubidgea and Clelandina, which has led some authors to synonymize them. All three are now considered to be part of the same tribe, Rubidgeini, rather than the same genus.

Below is a cladogram by Kammerer et al. in 2016.^[2]

Rubidgeinae	Smilesaurus ferox Aelurognathus tigriceps Ruhuhucerberus haughtoni Sycosaurus laticeps Sycosaurus nowaki Rubidgeini Leontosaurus vanderhosti Dinogorgon rubidgei Rubidgea atrox Clelandina rubidgei

References

1. https://sites.google.com/site/palaeocritti/by-group/gorgonopsia/dinogorgon
2. Kammerer, Christian F. (2016). "Systematics of the Rubidgeinae (Therapsida: Gorgonopsia)". PeerJ. 4: e1608. doi:10.7717/peerj.1608.