Pachygenelus

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Drawing of Pachygenelus

• P. Monus Watson, 1913 ( type species )
• P. milleri Chatterjee, 1983

Pachygenelus is an extinct genus of Trithelodontidae, a family of Cynodontia. Fossils were in the Karoo formation in South Africa and lived in the Lower Jurassic.

Description

Pachygenelus had a characteristic for the Ictidosauria ( Trithelodontidae ) joint in the square leg and a dental squamosal. Only mammals have a dental squamosal, while all other tetrapods have a typical square - joint. It is believed that the teeth of Pachygenelus represents the transition from the teeth of the non-mammalian Synapsids to that of mammals. Another feature of Pachygenelus that also occurs in mammals, is the plesiomorphic prismatic enamel. The upper and lower rows of teeth occlude each other, but not as in mammals. The skull of Pachygenelus is not very specialized. Humerus and femur of Pachygenelus are very similar to those of basal mammals.

Systematics and species

The genus was named on the basis of a partially preserved mandible from South Africa in 1913 as P. Monus. A new species, P. milleri, was named in 1983. Pachygenelus is a genus of Trithelodontidae. This is a family of Chiniquodontoidea.