Deuterosaurus

Artist's impression of Deuterosaurus biarmicus

• Orenburg Oblast, Russia

• Deuterosaurus biarmicus Eichwald, 1860
• Deuterosaurus Jubilaei Nopcsa, 1928

Deuterosaurus (Greek: " second lizard" ) is an extinct genus earlier therapsids ( "early mammal relatives" ) from the group of Dinocephalia. The fossils are dated to the middle Permian ( Tatarium ) of Russia. Findings come largely from Eastern Europe.

The first description of the genus Deuterosaurus gave Karl Eduard Eichwald 1860. There are two valid species, Deuterosaurus biarmicus and Deuterosaurus Jubilaei.

Body and Ecology

Deuterosaurus is known with two valid species of several skeletal remains and a few postcranial elements. This genus formerly Dinocephalia was characterized by a relatively short snout, which was already armed with the characteristic for all Anteosauriden fangs. The molar teeth of the animal, however, were relatively small and rounded so that a herbivore or omnivore lifestyle similar to that of a modern grizzly bear can be closed.

Like all representatives of Dinocephalia also owned Deuterosaurus a thickening of the cranial vault, which was probably used for area - or mating battles. The femur of Deuterosaurus were similar as well as that of most other early representatives of Dinocephalia still those of Sphenacodontia. As this was also Deuterosaurus still splayed his legs from the body, as in modern reptiles, the tail swung back and forth.

Synonyms

There are a number of synonyms for both species of the genus Deuterosaurus.

Deuterosaurus biarmicus:

• Deuterosaurus mnemonialis ( Eichwald, 1860)
• Eurosaurus verus ( Eichwald, 1860)

Deuterosaurus Jubilaei:

• Mnemeiosaurus Jubilaei ( Nopsca, 1928)
• Uraniskosaurus watsoni ( Nopsca, 1928)

Deuterosaurus gigas is probably a Ulemosaurus. In previous works Deuterosaurus was incorrectly classified as dinosaurs of the Triassic.