Gorynychus
{{short description|Genus of therapsids from the mid-Permian of Russia}}
{{expand french|topic=paleontology|date=February 2023}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = Mid Permian
| taxon = Gorynychus
| image= Gorynychus masyutinae.png
| image_caption = Holotype skull of G. masyutinae
| type_species = {{extinct}}Gorynychus masyutinae
| authority = Kammerer & Masyutin, 2018
| type_species_authority = Kammerer & Masyutin, 2018
| subdivision_ranks = Other species
| subdivision =
- {{extinct}}G. sundyrensis Suchkova & Gobulev, 2019
}}
Gorynychus is a genus of therocephalian from the mid-Permian from Kotelnich, Russia. The genus contains two species, G. masyutinae and G. sundyrensis. It was named after the three-headed dragon Zmey Gorynych (Змей Горыныч) from Russian mythology.{{cite journal|last1=Kammerer|first1=CF|last2=Masyutin|first2=V.|year=2018|title=A new therocephalian (Gorynychus masyutinae gen. et sp. nov.) from the Permian Kotelnich locality, Kirov Region, Russia|journal=PeerJ|volume=6|pages=e4933|doi=10.7717/peerj.4933|pmc=5995100|pmid=29900076 |doi-access=free }}{{cite web |title='Monstrous' new Russian saber-tooth fossils clarify early evolution of mammal lineage |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180608085622.htm|publisher=ScienceDaily|date=June 8, 2018|access-date=June 13, 2018|author=North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences}}{{cite journal|first1=J.A. |last1=Suchkova |first2=V.K. |last2=Golubev |year=2019 |title=New Permian therocephalian (Therocephalia, Theromorpha) from the Sundyr Assemblage of Eastern Europe |journal=Paleontological Journal |issue=4 |pages=87–92 |doi=10.1134/S0031031X19040123}}
Description
G. masyutinae, only known from its holotype, was wolf-sized and appears to have represented the largest predator in the Kotelnich fauna. Like many theriodonts, it had strongly developed and prominent canine teeth.
Paleoecology
The discovery of such a large therocephalian as the apex predator of its environment coupled with the discovery of a smaller gorgonopsid, the smaller and nocturnal Nochnitsa, in the same formation indicates that a faunal turnover was occurring at the time, with gorgonopsians taking over the therocephalians' role as the dominant predators in their environment.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Therocephalia|P.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q54969218}}
Category:Fossil taxa described in 2018
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