Varanosaurus Explained

Varanosaurus ('monitor lizard') is an extinct genus of early ophiacodontid synapsid that lived during the Artinskian^[1] and Kungurian ages of the Permian.^[2]

Description

As its name implies, Varanosaurus may have looked superficially similar to present-day monitor lizards, though not related at all.

Varanosaurus had a flattened, elongated skull and a pointed snout with a row of sharp teeth, including two pairs of conspicuous pseudocanines, implying that it was an active predator.^[3]

Varanosaurus probably lived in swamps, competing with the larger Ophiacodon for food.

Classification

Below is a cladogram modified from the analysis of Benson (2012):^[4]

See also

• List of pelycosaurs

Further reading

• Benes, Josef. Prehistoric Animals and Plants. Pg. 90. Artia: Prague, 1979.

Notes and References

1. A. S. Romer. 1937. New genera and species of pelycosaurian reptiles. Proceedings of the New England Zoölogical Club 16:89-95
2. R. R. Reisz. 1986. Pelycosauria. Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie / Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology 17A:1-102
3. Book: Palmer, D.. 1999 . The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. Marshall Editions. London. 187. 978-1-84028-152-1.
4. Benson . R.J. . 2012 . Interrelationships of basal synapsids: cranial and postcranial morphological partitions suggest different topologies . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 10 . 10.1080/14772019.2011.631042 . 4 . 601–624. 84706899 .