Brithopus
Extinct genus of mammal ancestors
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brithopus is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsids. It contains a single species, Brithopus priscus, known from fragmentary remains found in the Copper Sandstones near Isheevo, Russia.
| Brithopus Temporal range: Middle Permian, Ufimian | |
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| Life restoration of Brithopus feeding on a temnospondyl | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Clade: | Therapsida |
| Suborder: | †Dinocephalia |
| Family: | †Brithopodidae |
| Genus: | †Brithopus Kutorga, 1838 |
| Species: | †B. priscus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Brithopus priscus Kutorga, 1838 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
Brithopus was fairly large, reaching a length of 2.5–3 m (8–10 ft).[1] The skull was similar to Titanophoneus, but more massive and heavily built.[2]
Classification
B. priscus was first named in 1838 and was traditionally classified in the Anteosauria, a group of carnivorous dinocephalians. Brithopus served as the basis for the family Brithopodidae, which once included many anteosaurian species. Because it is based on fragmentary material, Brithopus is regarded as a nomen dubium by some researchers. Brithopus was later considered a possible estemmenosuchid,[3] a type of herbivorous tapinocephalian therapsid.[4]
Dinosaurus and Eurosaurus have both been considered synonyms of Brithopus.[5]
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