Varanosaurus
Extinct genus of synapsids
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Varanosaurus ('monitor lizard') is an extinct genus of early ophiacodontid synapsid that lived during the Artinskian[2] and Kungurian ages of the Permian.[3]
| Varanosaurus Temporal range: Early Permian, | |
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| A reconstruction of Varanosaurus acutirostris | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Family: | †Ophiacodontidae |
| Genus: | †Varanosaurus Broili, 1904 |
| Type species | |
| †Varanosaurus acutirostris Broili, 1904 | |
| Species[1] | |
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Description
As its name implies, Varanosaurus may have looked superficially similar to present-day monitor lizards[citation needed], 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.[4]
Varanosaurus probably lived in swamps, competing with the larger Ophiacodon for food.[citation needed]
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