Page 119 - Prehistoric Animals

So-Rok-Ton-Us

Sauroctonus

Sauroctonus (lizard killer) is an extinct genus of gor-
gonopsian* therapsids. It roamed the planet towards the
end of the Middle Permian around 272 to 230 Million years
ago. It was about 2 to 3 metres in length. Since being named
by Alexey Bystrow in 1955, several fossils have been found
and thought to belong to the genus Sauroctonus. However,
only two have been considered; S. progressus (Tatarstan,
Russia) and S. parringtoni (Tanzania, Africa); the former
being accepted but the latter is labelled; ‘Incertae sedis’,
(Uncertain placement).

Sauroctonus body, in comparison with others in the
gorgonopsian group, was medium to small. It had a narrow
flat triangular scull with small eyes sockets. Its upper and
lower jaws had a set of long canine teeth, similar to the sa-
bre-toothed cats, the upper being much longer than the low-
er. Its incisors were much shorter but sharp and pointed;
behind them were rows of short blunt crushing or grinding
teeth. Its lower jaw was much deeper than normal giving the
impression of having a chin. Its legs were strait and rigid
looking, which gave it a table-like gait. There were five toes
on each of its feet.

Although Sauroctonus had many mammalian charac-
teristics, and is often compared to a sabre-tooth cat, it was
not an ancestor of mammals. It’s more than likely it simply
occupied an ecological niche similar to that of the big cats
that appeared millions of years later. Most of what is known
about Sauroctonus comes from specimens found before the
Permian Triassic extinction event that wiped out many life
forms on Earth. After this event, nothing, to date, has been
found. However, it is known that many of the gorgonopsian
groups, as ancestors of mammals, did survive. It’s unclear
whether Sauroctonus was among them.

*Gorgonopsia, (Wikipedia)
is an extinct clade of sabre-toothed therapsids from
the Middle to Upper Permian roughly 265 to 252 million years
ago. They are characterised by a long and narrow skull, as well as
elongated upper and sometimes lower canine
teeth and incisors which were likely used as slashing and stabbing
weapons. (added Therapsids A member of the Therapsida, an
order of extinct reptiles of the Permian and Triassic periods,
showing many mammal-like features and thought to be the an-
cestors of the mammals).