Ufudocyclops

Uf-oo-do-sy-klops.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Ufudocyclops.

Phonetic

Uf-oo-do-sy-klops.

Named By

Christian F.‭ ‬Kammerer,‭ ‬Pia A.‭ ‬Viglietti,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬John Hancox,‭ ‬Richard J.‭ ‬Butler‭ & ‬Jonah N.‭ ‬Choiniere‭ ‬-‭ ‬2019.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Dicynodontia,‭ ‬Stahleckeriidae,‭ ‬Stahleckeriinae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

U.‭ ‬mukanelai‭

Size

‭L‬arger skulls up to‭ ‬35‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

South Africa‭ ‬-‭ ‬Burgersdorp Formation.

Time Period

Middle Triassic.

Fossil representation

Skulls and a lower jaw.

In Depth

       Ufudocyclops is a genus of dicynodont therapsid that lived in Southern Africa during the mid Triassic.‭ ‬Remains of several skulls of Ufudocyclops are known and these suggest that Ufudocyclops not only lacked tusks,‭ ‬but was completely toothless.‭ ‬Instead of teeth,‭ ‬Ufudocyclops seems to have had a‭ ‬large keratinous beak that was used to shear through plants.‭ ‬Rugose patterning upon the skull‭ ‬of Ufudocyclops supports this assessment as these would have been were the keratin grew from.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new kannemeyeriiform dicynodont‭ (‬Ufudocyclops mukanelai,‭ ‬gen.‭ ‬et sp.‭ ‬nov.‭) ‬from Subzone C of the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone,‭ ‬Triassic of South Africa,‭ ‬with implications for biostratigraphic correlation with other African Triassic Faunas.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Christian F.‭ ‬Kammerer,‭ ‬Pia A.‭ ‬Viglietti,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬John Hancox,‭ ‬Richard J.‭ ‬Butler‭ & ‬Jonah N.‭ ‬Choiniere‭ ‬-‭ ‬2019.

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