You can help expand this article with text translated from
the corresponding article in French. (February 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Gorynychus Temporal range:
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Holotype skull of G. masyutinae | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Synapsida |
Clade: | Therapsida |
Clade: | † Therocephalia |
Genus: | †
Gorynychus Kammerer & Masyutin, 2018 |
Type species | |
†Gorynychus masyutinae Kammerer & Masyutin, 2018
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Other species | |
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Gorynychus is a genus of therocephalian from the mid-Permian from Kotelnich, Russia. The genus contains two species, G. masyutinae and G. sundyrensis. It was named after the three-headed dragon Zmey Gorynych (Змей Горыныч) from Russian mythology. [1] [2] [3]
G. masyutinae, only known from its holotype, was wolf-sized and appears to have represented the largest predator in the Kotelnich fauna. Like many theriodonts, it had strongly developed and prominent canine teeth. [1]
The discovery of such a large therocephalian as the apex predator of its environment coupled with the discovery of a smaller gorgonopsid, the smaller and nocturnal Nochnitsa, in the same formation indicates that a faunal turnover was occurring at the time, with gorgonopsians taking over the therocephalians' role as the dominant predators in their environment. [2]
You can help expand this article with text translated from
the corresponding article in French. (February 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Gorynychus Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Holotype skull of G. masyutinae | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Synapsida |
Clade: | Therapsida |
Clade: | † Therocephalia |
Genus: | †
Gorynychus Kammerer & Masyutin, 2018 |
Type species | |
†Gorynychus masyutinae Kammerer & Masyutin, 2018
| |
Other species | |
|
Gorynychus is a genus of therocephalian from the mid-Permian from Kotelnich, Russia. The genus contains two species, G. masyutinae and G. sundyrensis. It was named after the three-headed dragon Zmey Gorynych (Змей Горыныч) from Russian mythology. [1] [2] [3]
G. masyutinae, only known from its holotype, was wolf-sized and appears to have represented the largest predator in the Kotelnich fauna. Like many theriodonts, it had strongly developed and prominent canine teeth. [1]
The discovery of such a large therocephalian as the apex predator of its environment coupled with the discovery of a smaller gorgonopsid, the smaller and nocturnal Nochnitsa, in the same formation indicates that a faunal turnover was occurring at the time, with gorgonopsians taking over the therocephalians' role as the dominant predators in their environment. [2]