Arctognathus

Ark-to-nay-fuss.
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Arctognathus ‭(‬bear jaw‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ark-to-nay-fuss.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Gorgonopsidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬curvimola‭

Size

18‭ ‬centimetre skull,‭ ‬Body about‭ ‬1.1‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

South Africa.

Time Period

Late Permian.

Fossil representation

Several specimens.

In Depth

       With a body length of just over one meter,‭ ‬Arctognathus was on the small side for a gorgonopsid,‭ ‬but it still would have been a potent predator in its own right.‭ Two additional species of Arctognathus once existed,‭ ‬but these have now been assigned‭ ‬to new genera.‭ ‬Fossils of Arctognathus cookei have now been moved to Anoplosaurus,‭ ‬though they are also indeterminate.‭ ‬Arctognathus nasuta fossils have now been used to establish the type species of the genus Njalila.

Further Reading

– Cranial osteology of Arctognathus curvimola, a short-snouted gorgonopsian from the Late Permian of South Africa. – Papers in Palaeontology – Christian F. Kammerer – 2014.

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