Syops Explained

Syops is an extinct genus of dicynodont therapsid.^[1] The type species S. vanhoepeni was first named in 1938 as Dicynodon vanhoepeni. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone in the Usili Formation of the Ruhuhu Basin, Tanzania and the Upper Madumabisa Mudstone Formation of the Luangwa Basin, Zambia.^[2] Its phylogenetic placement is somewhat uncertain, with multiple different studies finding it as either a basal geikiid,^[3] rhachiocephalid^[4] a dicynodontoid more derived than the most basal genera but less derived than Lystrosauridae,^{[5] [6]} or a lystrosaurid.^{[1] [7]}

Notes and References

1. Kammerer . C.F. . Angielczyk, K.D. . Fröbisch, J. . 2011 . A comprehensive taxonomic revision of Dicynodon (Therapsida, Anomodontia) and its implications for dicynodont phylogeny, biogeography, and biostratigraphy . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 31 . Suppl. 1 . 1–158 . 10.1080/02724634.2011.627074. 2011JVPal..31S...1K . 84987497 .
2. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=196700 Syops
3. Kammerer . C. F. . Fröbisch . J. R. . Angielczyk . K. D. . Farke . Andrew A . On the Validity and Phylogenetic Position of Eubrachiosaurus browni, a Kannemeyeriiform Dicynodont (Anomodontia) from Triassic North America . 10.1371/journal.pone.0064203 . PLOS ONE . 8 . 5 . e64203 . 2013 . 23741307. 3669350. 2013PLoSO...864203K . free .
4. Kammerer. C.F.. Smith. R.M.H.. 2017. An early geikiid dicynodont from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (late Permian) of South Africa. PeerJ. en. 5. e2913. 10.7717/peerj.2913. 28168104. 2167-8359. 5289114 . free .
5. Angielczyk . K.D. . Kammerer . C.F. . The cranial morphology, phylogenetic position and biogeography of the upper Permian dicynodont Compsodon helmoedi van Hoepen (Therapsida, Anomodontia) . . 2017 . 3 . 4 . 513–545 . 10.1002/spp2.1087. 134092461 .
6. Liu . Jun . 2020 . Taoheodon baizhijuni, gen. et sp. nov. (Anomodontia, Dicynodontoidea), from the upper Permian Sunjiagou Formation of China and its implications . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 40. e1762088 . 10.1080/02724634.2020.1762088. 2020JVPal..40E2088L . 221749476 .
7. Angielczyk . K. D. . Liu . J. . Yang . W. . 2021 . A Redescription of Kunpania scopulusa, a Bidentalian Dicynodont (Therapsida, Anomodontia) from the ?Guadalupian of Northwestern China . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 41 . e1922428 . 10.1080/02724634.2021.1922428 . 2021JVPal..41E2428A . 236406006 .