Titanosuchus

Artistic reconstruction of live Titanosuchus

• South Africa ( Beaufort Group)

• Titanosuchus ferox

Titanosuchus is an extinct genus of the group of Dinocephalia. So far, the remains of at least 59 copies are known to originate from the Middle Permian of South Africa. Titanosuchus fossils are discovered within the Tapinocephalus zone, a Biozone of the very fossil-rich Beaufort Group, which is dated to the Capitanium. Titanosuchus was described in 1876 by ​​the British anatomist Richard Owen scientifically; the type species is Titanosuchus ferox.

System

Within the Dinocephalia Titanosuchus is counted among the Titanosuchia which includes relatively large and heavily built forms. Titanosuchus was probably most closely related to Jonkeria, which also comes from the Tapinocephalus zone. Both genera are grouped together as Titanosuchidae and provide more representative of the original Titanosuchia dar.

Features and nutrition

The dentition of the upper jaw on each side consisted of 5 incisors, 1 canine, and 11 molars; in the lower jaw were each side 4 incisors, 1 canine, and 10 or 11 molars present. Within the Titanosuchia a trend of a carnivorous diet, it can be observed towards a herbivorous diet, the teeth of Titanosuchus features of both diets shows: So the canines at Titanosuchus were indeed smaller than the greatly enlarged canine teeth of carnivorous Dinocephalia, but still greater than the remaining teeth - at more advanced herbivorous representatives of Titanosuchia were reduced canines the size of the remaining teeth. The incisors had already broadened tooth bases. Probably touched this at the jaw is closed and generated a continuous slot in the diet - in contrast to the bite impression appears as a series of dental impressions in other species. Unique to Titanosuchus and Jonkeria were also relatively numerous, small and leaf-shaped molars. These teeth did not touch on the jaw is closed; maybe they had a function for packing vegetable food.

Traditionally Titanosuchus is represented as a predator because of the enlarged canines. Richard Owen writes in 1879:

" We have, in fact, in Titanosuchus a carnivore of a more carnassial type than the Machairodus or other Felines ... It most probably found its prey in the huge contemporary Pareiosaurs, Oudenodonts, and Tapinocephalans of its South African - locality "

"We have, in fact, with Titanosuchus a carnivore with more pronounced fangs as Machairodus or other cats ... Probably he found his prey in the great contemporary Pareiosauriern, Oudenodonten Tepinocephalier and his South African site"

Recent work suggests, however, a plant or an omnivore.