Oligokyphus

Ol-e-go-ky-fus.
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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

Oligokyphus ‭(‬Small curved animal‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ol-e-go-ky-fus.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Cynodontia,‭ ‬Tritylodontidae.

Diet

Carnivore/Insectivore.

Species

O.‭ ‬triserialis‭

Size

About‭ ‬30‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

China‭ ‬-‭ ‬Lufeng Formation.‭ ‬Germany‭ ‬-‭ ‬Exter Formation.‭ ‬United Kingdom‭ (‬England and Wales‭)‬.‭ ‬USA,‭ ‬Arizona‭ ‬-‭ ‬Kayenta Formation.

Time Period

Hettangian to Pleinsbachian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

‭Partial remains.

In Depth

       Occasionally interpreted as a very primitive mammal,‭ ‬Oligokyphus is today usually seen as a very late surviving cynodont,‭ ‬as well as one of the last of the non-mammalian therapsids.‭ ‬Still,‭ ‬Oligokyphus has been stated as being akin to a modern day weasel in terms of ecological niche,‭ ‬hunting for small animals on the ground,‭ ‬though it is‭ ‬also plausible that Oligokyphus may have also been a climber.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Die S�ugerz�hne des w�rttembergischen Rh�t-Lias-Bonebeds.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Neues Jahrbuch f�r Mineralogie,‭ ‬Geologie und Pal�ontologie‭ ‬46:181-267.‭ ‬-‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Henning‭ ‬-‭ ‬1922. -‭ ‬The Liassic therapsid Oligokyphus.‭ ‬-‭ ‬British Museum‭ (‬Natural History‭)‬,‭ ‬London‭ ‬1-149.‭ ‬-‭ ‬W.‭ ‬K�hne‭ ‬-‭ ‬1956. -‭ ‬Oligokyphus‭ (‬Cynodontia:‭ ‬Tritylodontidae‭) ‬from the Lower Lufeng Formation‭ (‬Lower Jurassic‭) ‬of Yunnan,‭ ‬China.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬13‭(‬4‭)‬:477-482.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Z.‭ ‬Luo‭ & ‬A.‭ ‬Sun‭ ‬-‭ ‬1993.

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