Cynognathia

Cynognathia Temporal range: mid Early Triassic to Early Cretaceous
Cynognathus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Synapsida
Order:	Therapsida
Suborder:	Cynodontia
Infraorder:	Eucynodontia
(unranked):	Cynognathia
Families
See "Taxonomy"

The Cynognathians (Dog-jaw) are one of the two major clades of the infraorder Eucynodontia, the other being the Probainognathians. Cynognathus, the most basal representative of the clade was a carnivore, unlike most cynognathians. The cynognathians were mostly mammal-like, but the subgroup Tritylodontids were the most mammal-like. Cynognathians can be identified by several synapomorphies including a very deep zygomatic arch that extends above the middle of the orbit. The cynognathians are the longest lived therapsid non-mammalian clade extending from Triassic to the Early Cretaceous. The most renowned Cynognathian is Cynognathus.

So far, their fossils are found in South America, Antarctica, and South Africa.

Taxonomy

• Suborder Cynodontia
  • Infraorder Eucynodontia
    • (unranked) Cynognathia
      • Family Cynognathidae
        • Cynognathus
      • Superfamily Tritylodontoidea
        • Family Diademodontidae
        • Family ?Trirachodontidae
        • Family Traversodontidae
          • Massetognathus
        • Family Tritylodontidae
          • Oligokyphus
          • Tritylodon
          • Bienotherium

See also

• Evolution of mammals
• Mammaliaformes
• Prehistoric mammals