Diictodon had disproportionally large heads that ended in a horny beak. ‘There is a clear distinction between specimens having canine tusks and those lacking them, as tusked specimens are generally larger and more likely to develop a pineal boss. This probably reflects sexual dimorphism, with the tusked sex almost certainly being the male.’ Diictodon had strong arms and legs, as well as 5 sharp claws on each hand, and may have had keen senses of smell and sight. Their gait was similar to the 'high walk' of crocodiles. Their jaws were also simplified, with some of the bones dedicated instead to hearing, considered a key sign of mammalian adaptation. Diictodon also had many adaptations for digging, such as highly developed muscles, a cylindrical body, and wide hands.[8] Researchers Chinsmay and Rubridge analyzed seven other Dicynodonts species discovering the humerual bone microstructure in Diictidon showed no signs of growth marks indicating a variation in its growth strategy that further improved their ability to dig.[9]
Size of Diictodon feliceps relative to a human
Lifestyleedit
Burrow and skeleton
As a therapsid, Diictodon shared many features with modern-day mammals. Most noticeably, they made burrows into the earth, but most reached up to 0.5 m (1.6 ft) in depth, suggesting that they might have been infrequent diggers and occupied abandoned burrows.[8] Still, many scientists believe that Diictodon lived like the modern gopher. Their burrows could have been used to escape the heat of the desert, which was the dominant environment on the continent of Pangaea in the Late Permian Period. Inside these burrows, nests have been found, where Diictodon skeletons are present. They constituted of quite a gregarious lifestyle with numerous burrows in 500 square meters of space. However, their burrows were unconnected and did not form any large colonies. Many Diictodon nested close to flood plains, and some specimens may have been killed as water flowed into the nests, drowning the animals. Diictidon’s primary utilization of humeral excursion rather than forearm extension aided in employing rotation thrusting when burrowing.[9]Diictodon had no known rival species competing in its niche, so they may have competed primarily with others of their species for the little plant material available.[8] Fossils of infant Diictodon discovered in brood chambers in some burrows suggest there was parental care in the genus, and that males seem to have been involved in raising the infants, based on the fact that some adults in said burrows had tusks.[10]
Dietedit
Like all dicynodonts, Diictodon were herbivorous. They used their beaks to break off pieces of the sparse desert shrubs. Like modern desert animals, Diictodon may have had unusually efficient digestive systems, due to the lack of nutrients present in desert plants. As burrowing animals, they may have fed off of water-rich plant tubers.[11]
Sexual dimorphismedit
Previously, tusked individuals were considered males, while tuskless individuals were considered females. Differences in pelvic structure may be the other evidence for sexual dimorphism.[8]
^M.O. Day, B.S. Rubidge; Biostratigraphy of the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone (Beaufort Group, Karoo Supergroup), South Africa. South African Journal of Geology 2020;; 123 (2): 149–164. doi: https://doi.org/10.25131/sajg.123.0012
^P.A. Viglietti; Biostratigraphy of the Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone (Beaufort Group, Karoo Supergroup), South Africa. South African Journal of Geology 2020;; 123 (2): 191–206. doi: https://doi.org/10.25131/sajg.123.0014
^ abcdeSullivan, C., & Reisz, R. R. (2005). CRANIAL ANATOMY AND TAXONOMY OF THE LATE PERMIAN DICYNODONT DIICTODON. Annals of Carnegie Museum, 74(1), 45–75.
^Angielczyk, K. D., & Sullivan, C. (2008). Diictodon feliceps(Owen, 1876), a dicynodont (Therapsida, Anomodontia) species with a Pangaean distribution. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 28(3), 788–802.
^Kammerer, C.F.; Angielczyk, K.D. (2009). "A proposed higher taxonomy of anomodont therapsids" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2018: 1–24.
^Sullivan, C., Reisz, R. R., & Smith, R. M. H. (2003). The Permian mammal-like herbivoreDiictodon, the oldest known example of sexually dimorphic armament. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270(1511), 173–178. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2002.2189.
^ abcdRay, S., & Chinsamy, A. (2003). Functional aspects of the postcranial anatomy of the Permian dicynodont Diictodon and their ecological implications. Palaeontology, 46(1), 151–183. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-4983.00292.
^ abRay, Sanghamitra; Chinsamy, Anusuya (2004-03-25). "Diictodon feliceps (Therapsida, Dicynodontia): bone histology, growth, and biomechanics". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24 (1): 180–194. Bibcode:2004JVPal..24..180R. doi:10.1671/1914-14. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 86189707.
^Smith, Roger M. H.; Angielczyk, Kenneth D.; Benoit, Julien; Fernandez, Vincent (1 May 2021). "Neonate aggregation in the Permian dicynodont Diictodon (Therapsida, Anomodontia): Evidence for a reproductive function for burrows?". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 569: 110311. Bibcode:2021PPP...56910311S. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110311. S2CID 233585323.
^Cox, C. B. (1998). The jaw function and adaptive radiation of the dicynodont mammal-like reptiles of the Karoo basin of South Africa. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 122(1-2), 349–384. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1998.tb02534.x
^Kenneth D. Angielczyk; Bruce S. Rubidge (2010). "A new pylaecephalid dicynodont (Therapsida, Anomodontia) from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone, Karoo Basin, Middle Permian of South Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (5): 1396–1409. Bibcode:2010JVPal..30.1396A. doi:10.1080/02724634.2010.501447. S2CID 129846697.
Further readingedit
Ray, Sanghamitra; Chinsamy, Anusuya (January 2003). "Functional aspects of the postcranial anatomy of the Permian dicynodont Diictodon and their ecological implications". Palaeontology. 46 (1): 151–183. Bibcode:2003Palgy..46..151R. doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00292. S2CID 84329913.
January 01, 1970
diictodon, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, 2019, learn, whe. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Diictodon news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message Diictodon is an extinct genus of pylaecephalid dicynodont 5 that lived during the Late Permian period approximately 255 million years ago Fossils have been found in the Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone of the Madumabisa Mudstone of the Luangwa Basin in Zambia and the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone of the Teekloof Formation Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Abrahamskraal Formation Dicynodon Assemblage Zone of the Balfour Formation Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone of the Middleton or Balfour Formation of South Africa and the Guodikeng Formation of China 6 Roughly half of all Permian vertebrate specimens found in South Africa are those of Diictodon This small herbivorous animal was one of the most successful synapsids in the Permian period 7 DiictodonTemporal range Capitanian Guadalupian 1 Lopingian Changhsingian 2 262 252 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Adult males with distorted skull Undistorted skull of Diictodon in top view left and side view right scale bar 1 cm Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Clade Synapsida Clade Therapsida Suborder Anomodontia Clade Dicynodontia Family Pylaecephalidae Genus DiictodonOwen 1876 Species 3 4 D feliceps type Synonyms Rhachiocephalodon Seeley 1898 3 Emydorhynchus Broom 1913 3 Pylaecephalus van Hoepen 1934 3 Anomodon Keyser 1975 3 Contents 1 Characteristics 1 1 Appearance 1 2 Lifestyle 1 3 Diet 1 4 Sexual dimorphism 2 Phylogeny 3 References 4 Further readingCharacteristics editAppearance edit nbsp A life restoration of a male Diictodon feliceps Diictodon had disproportionally large heads that ended in a horny beak There is a clear distinction between specimens having canine tusks and those lacking them as tusked specimens are generally larger and more likely to develop a pineal boss This probably reflects sexual dimorphism with the tusked sex almost certainly being the male Diictodon had strong arms and legs as well as 5 sharp claws on each hand and may have had keen senses of smell and sight Their gait was similar to the high walk of crocodiles Their jaws were also simplified with some of the bones dedicated instead to hearing considered a key sign of mammalian adaptation Diictodon also had many adaptations for digging such as highly developed muscles a cylindrical body and wide hands 8 Researchers Chinsmay and Rubridge analyzed seven other Dicynodonts species discovering the humerual bone microstructure in Diictidon showed no signs of growth marks indicating a variation in its growth strategy that further improved their ability to dig 9 nbsp Size of Diictodon feliceps relative to a human Lifestyle edit nbsp Burrow and skeleton As a therapsid Diictodon shared many features with modern day mammals Most noticeably they made burrows into the earth but most reached up to 0 5 m 1 6 ft in depth suggesting that they might have been infrequent diggers and occupied abandoned burrows 8 Still many scientists believe that Diictodon lived like the modern gopher Their burrows could have been used to escape the heat of the desert which was the dominant environment on the continent of Pangaea in the Late Permian Period Inside these burrows nests have been found where Diictodon skeletons are present They constituted of quite a gregarious lifestyle with numerous burrows in 500 square meters of space However their burrows were unconnected and did not form any large colonies Many Diictodon nested close to flood plains and some specimens may have been killed as water flowed into the nests drowning the animals Diictidon s primary utilization of humeral excursion rather than forearm extension aided in employing rotation thrusting when burrowing 9 Diictodon had no known rival species competing in its niche so they may have competed primarily with others of their species for the little plant material available 8 Fossils of infant Diictodon discovered in brood chambers in some burrows suggest there was parental care in the genus and that males seem to have been involved in raising the infants based on the fact that some adults in said burrows had tusks 10 Diet edit Like all dicynodonts Diictodon were herbivorous They used their beaks to break off pieces of the sparse desert shrubs Like modern desert animals Diictodon may have had unusually efficient digestive systems due to the lack of nutrients present in desert plants As burrowing animals they may have fed off of water rich plant tubers 11 Sexual dimorphism edit Previously tusked individuals were considered males while tuskless individuals were considered females Differences in pelvic structure may be the other evidence for sexual dimorphism 8 Phylogeny editDiictodon in a cladogram modified from Angielczyk and Rubidge 2010 showing the phylogenetic relationships of Dicynodontia 12 Dicynodontia Eodicynodon Colobodectes Lanthanostegus Pylaecephalidae Robertia Diictodon Prosictodon Chelydontops Endothiodon Pristerodon Emydopoidea Emydops Myosaurus Kingoriidae Dicynodontoides Kombuisia Cistecephalidae Cistecephalus Cistecephaloides Kawingasaurus Pristerodontia Interpresosaurus Elph Rhachiocephalus Cryptodontidae Oudenodon Tropidostoma Australobarbarus Geikiidae Odontocyclops Idelesaurus Aulacephalodon Geikia Pelanomodon Dicynodontoidea Katumbia Delectosaurus Dicynodon Lystrosauridae Kannemeyeriiformes VivaxosaurusReferences edit nbsp Paleontology portal M O Day B S Rubidge Biostratigraphy of the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone Beaufort Group Karoo Supergroup South Africa South African Journal of Geology 2020 123 2 149 164 doi https doi org 10 25131 sajg 123 0012 P A Viglietti Biostratigraphy of the Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone Beaufort Group Karoo Supergroup South Africa South African Journal of Geology 2020 123 2 191 206 doi https doi org 10 25131 sajg 123 0014 a b c d e Sullivan C amp Reisz R R 2005 CRANIAL ANATOMY AND TAXONOMY OF THE LATE PERMIAN DICYNODONT DIICTODON Annals of Carnegie Museum 74 1 45 75 Angielczyk K D amp Sullivan C 2008 Diictodon feliceps Owen 1876 a dicynodont Therapsida Anomodontia species with a Pangaean distribution Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 3 788 802 Kammerer C F Angielczyk K D 2009 A proposed higher taxonomy of anomodont therapsids PDF Zootaxa 2018 1 24 Diictodon at Fossilworks org Sullivan C Reisz R R amp Smith R M H 2003 The Permian mammal like herbivoreDiictodon the oldest known example of sexually dimorphic armament Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences 270 1511 173 178 https doi org 10 1098 rspb 2002 2189 a b c d Ray S amp Chinsamy A 2003 Functional aspects of the postcranial anatomy of the Permian dicynodont Diictodon and their ecological implications Palaeontology 46 1 151 183 https doi org 10 1111 1475 4983 00292 a b Ray Sanghamitra Chinsamy Anusuya 2004 03 25 Diictodon feliceps Therapsida Dicynodontia bone histology growth and biomechanics Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24 1 180 194 Bibcode 2004JVPal 24 180R doi 10 1671 1914 14 ISSN 0272 4634 S2CID 86189707 Smith Roger M H Angielczyk Kenneth D Benoit Julien Fernandez Vincent 1 May 2021 Neonate aggregation in the Permian dicynodont Diictodon Therapsida Anomodontia Evidence for a reproductive function for burrows Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 569 110311 Bibcode 2021PPP 56910311S doi 10 1016 j palaeo 2021 110311 S2CID 233585323 Cox C B 1998 The jaw function and adaptive radiation of the dicynodont mammal like reptiles of the Karoo basin of South Africa Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 122 1 2 349 384 https doi org 10 1111 j 1096 3642 1998 tb02534 x Kenneth D Angielczyk Bruce S Rubidge 2010 A new pylaecephalid dicynodont Therapsida Anomodontia from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone Karoo Basin Middle Permian of South Africa Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30 5 1396 1409 Bibcode 2010JVPal 30 1396A doi 10 1080 02724634 2010 501447 S2CID 129846697 Further reading editRay Sanghamitra Chinsamy Anusuya January 2003 Functional aspects of the postcranial anatomy of the Permian dicynodont Diictodon and their ecological implications Palaeontology 46 1 151 183 Bibcode 2003Palgy 46 151R doi 10 1111 1475 4983 00292 S2CID 84329913 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Diictodon amp oldid 1201054547, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
