- Tapinocephalus
Taxobox
name = "Tapinocephalus"
fossil_range =Middle Permian 
regnum =Animal ia
divisio =Amniota
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
superclassis =Tetrapoda
classis =Synapsid a
ordo =Therapsida
subordo =Dinocephalia
familia =Tapinocephalidae
subfamilia = Tapinocephalinae
genus = "Tapinocephalus"
genus_authority = Owen, 1876
subdivision_ranks = Binomial name
subdivision = "Tapinocephalus atherstonei"
Owen 1876"Tapinocephalus" is a
genus of large herbivorousdinocephalia n that lived during the MiddlePermian Period. These stocky, barrel-bodied animals were characterised by a massive bony skull roof and short weak snout. It is thought that, like the rest of the members of its family, the animals engaged in head-butting intraspecific behavior, possibly for territory or mates. Thefossil remains (skull and postcranial elements) of "Tapinocephalus" are known from the Lower, Middle, and Upper part of the "Tapinocephalus" Assemblage Zone ( Capitanian age) of the Lower Beaufort Beds of theSouth Africa nKaroo . Only thetype species , "T. atherstonei" is now considered valid for this genus.In life, these animals were over 3 meters (10 ft) in length and weighed around 1.5 to 2
metric tonne s (1.6 to 2short ton s), making them among the largest animals of their time."
Keratocephalus " and "Moschops " are closely related contemporary forms, of similar size and habits.References
* Boonstra, L.D. 1956, "The skull of "Tapinocephalus" and its near relatives" "
Annals of the South African Museum ", 43 Part 3 pp. 137-169, 17 figs, plate 4.
* ----- 1969. The fauna of the "Tapinocephalus" Zone (Beaufort beds of the Karoo). "Ann. S. Afr. Mus." 56:1–73.
* King, Gillian M., 1988 "Anomodontia" Part 17 C, Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology, Gutsav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart and New York.External links
* [http://www.palaeos.com/Vertebrates/Units/400Therapsida/650.html#Tapinocephalus Tapinocephalia - "Tapinocephalus"] - Palaeos
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