Lophorhinus

Lo-for-ry-nuss.
Published on

Liam Carter

Paleoanthropologist

Liam Carter explores the roots of humanity by studying early human fossils and artifacts. His ground-breaking work has provided a deeper understanding of our ancestors' lifestyles and social structures.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Lophorhinus ‭(‬crested nose‭)‬.

Phonetic

Lo-for-ry-nuss.

Named By

C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Sidor‭ & ‬R.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Smith‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Biarmosuchia,‭ ‬Burnetiamorpha.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

L.‭ ‬willodenensis‭

Size

Reconstructed skull estimates at about‭ ‬20‭ ‬centimetres long.‭ ‬Total body length roughly estimated to be about‭ ‬1‭ ‬meter long.

Known locations

South Africa‭ ‬-‭ ‬Teekloof Formation.

Time Period

Wuchiapingian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Partial skull.

In Depth

       Lophorhinus was a burnetiamorph biarmosuchian therapsid that lived in South Africa during the late Permian.‭ ‬As a burnetiamorph Lophorhinus was closer in form to the genus Burnetia than to Biarmosuchus.‭ ‬Other genera that Lophorhinus seems to be closely related to include Lobalopex and Pachydectes.

       Lophorhinus had enlargeds canine teeth that were likely the main killing weapons available to Lophorhinus.‭ ‬The most distinctive features of the skull of Lophorhinus are the enlarged crests that rose up into points above and behind the eye sockets,‭ ‬as well as a smaller ridge-like crest that rises up from the snout between the nasals and eye sockets.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A Second Burnetiamorph Therapsid from the Permian Teekloof Formation of South Africa and its Associated Fauna.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬27‭(‬2‭)‬:420-430.‭ ‬-‭ ‬C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Sidor‭ & ‬R.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Smith‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

Never Miss a New Species or Fossil Discovery!

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

tyrannosaurus illustration