Smilesaurus
{{Short description|Extinct genus of therapsids}}
{{Distinguish|Silesaurus}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = Late Permian {{fossil_range|259|254}}
| image = Smilesaurus.png
| image_caption = Holotype skull
| taxon = Smilesaurus
| authority = Broom, 1948
| type_species = {{extinct}}Smilesaurus ferox
| type_species_authority = Broom, 1948
| synonyms =
Genus level
- Pardocephalus Broom, 1948
Species level
- Pardocephalus wallacei Broom, 1948
- Smilesaurus maccabei Broom, 1948
- Aelurognathus ferox Gebauer, 2007
}}
Smilesaurus is an extinct genus of gorgonopsian known from South Africa. It lived during the Late Permian. It contains the single species S. ferox.{{Cite journal|doi=10.7717/peerj.1608|title=Systematics of the Rubidgeinae (Therapsida: Gorgonopsia)|journal=PeerJ|volume=4|pages=e1608|year=2016|last1=Kammerer|first1=Christian F.|pmid=26823998|pmc=4730894 |doi-access=free }}
Description
Smilesaurus was a large gorgonopsian, with a skull length of up to 31 centimeters. It is characterized by extremely long canine teeth, and has the proportionally longest canines of any gorgonopsian. Unlike other gorgonopsians, which probably hunted similarly to predatory reptiles, Smilesaurus probably was a true saber-toothed predator which hunted using similar tactics to saber-toothed cats. It can be distinguished by other rubidgeines by its lack of cranial pachyostosis and rugosoties, and by its relatively small orbits.
Classification
The classification of Smilesaurus has been disputed. It has often been included in Rubidgeinae, but it differs from other members of the clade considerably. Instead, it may be more closely related to Arctops, a position supported by a phylogenetic analysis in 2018.
Below is a cladogram of Gorgonopsia from Bendel et al., 2018:
{{clade| style=font-size:100%;line-height:85%
|1 = {{clade
|1 =Nochnitsa
|2 = {{clade
|1 = Viatkogorgon
|2 = {{clade
|1 = {{clade
|1= Suchogorgon
|2={{clade
|1=Sauroctonus
|2={{clade
}}
}}
}}
|2= {{clade
|1 = Eriphostoma
|2 = {{clade
|1 = Gorgonops
|2 = {{clade
|1= Cynariops
|2= {{clade
|1 = Lycaenops
|2 = {{clade
|1 = Smilesaurus
|2 = Arctops
}}
|3= {{clade
|1=Arctognathus
|label2 = Rubidgeinae
|2 = {{clade
| 1 = Aelurognathus
| 2 = {{clade
| 1 = Ruhuhucerberus
| 2 = {{clade
| 1 = Sycosaurus
| label2 = Rubidgeini
| 2 = {{clade
| 1 = Leontosaurus
| 2 = {{clade
| 1 = Dinogorgon
| 2 = {{clade
| 1 = Clelandina
| 2 = Rubidgea
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}
See also
{{Portal|Paleontology}}
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0207367| issn = 1932-6203| volume = 13| issue = 11| pages = –0207367| last1 = Bendel| first1 = Eva-Maria| last2 = Kammerer| first2 = Christian F.| last3 = Kardjilov| first3 = Nikolay| last4 = Fernandez| first4 = Vincent| last5 = Fröbisch| first5 = Jörg| title = Cranial anatomy of the gorgonopsian Cynariops robustus based on CT-reconstruction| journal = PLOS ONE| date = 2018-11-28| pmid = 30485338| pmc = 6261584| bibcode = 2018PLoSO..1307367B| doi-access = free}}
{{cite journal
| last1 = Broom | first1 = Robert | authorlink = Robert Broom
| date = 1947
| title = A contribution to our knowledge of the vertebrates of the Karroo Beds of South Africa
| journal = Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
| volume = 61
| issue = 2
| pages = 577–629
| doi = 10.1017/S0080456800004865
}}
{{cite journal | last1= Kammerer | first1 = Christian F. | last2 = Masyutin | first2 = Vladimir | year = 2016 | title = Gorgonopsian therapsids (Nochnitsa gen. nov. and Viatkogorgon) from the Permian Kotelnich locality of Russia | journal = PeerJ | volume = 6 | doi = 10.7717/peerj.4954 | pmc = 5995105 | pmid=29900078 | page=e4954 | doi-access = free }}
{{cite book | last1 = Sigogneau-Russell | first1 = Denise | editor-last = Wellnhofer | editor-first = Peter | year = 1989 | title = Theriodontia I: Phthinosuchia, Biarmosuchia, Eotitanosuchia, Gorgonopsia | publisher = Gustav Fischer Verlag | location = Stuttgart | isbn = 3437304879 | series = Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology | volume = 17 B/I }}
}}
External links
- {{cite web|url=https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/mhaaramo/metazoa/deuterostoma/chordata/synapsida/theriodontia/gorgonopsia.html|title=†Gorgonopsia – gorgonopsids|website=Mikko's Phylogeny Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929203611/https://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/mhaaramo/metazoa/deuterostoma/chordata/synapsida/theriodontia/gorgonopsia.html|archive-date=2022-09-29|url-status=live}}
{{Gorgonopsia}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q7544685}}
Category:Prehistoric therapsid genera
Category:Fossil taxa described in 1948
Category:Taxa named by Robert Broom
{{paleo-therapsid-stub}}