Abstract
The Permian from China has a well-known terrestrial record where approximately 30 tetrapod taxa, including several therapsids, have been described. However, the record of therocephalians in China has remained elusive. Shiguaignathus wangi gen. et sp. nov., discovered in the Member III of the Naobaogou Formation, Nei Mongol, China, is here described. This is the first therocephalian recovered from this fauna and only the second from the Permian of China. It is represented by a well-preserved robust snout of a medium-sized animal. This is the first akidnognathid reported from the Chinese Permian and only the second genus from Laurasia as one genus is known from Russia whereas the remaining members of the group are from the South African Karoo Basin. A phylogenetic analysis of therocephalians supports a basal position of S. wangi within Akidnognathidae, followed by the Russian Annatherapsidus. Akidnognathidae is the latest major group of therocephalian appearing in the fossil record, and one of the few that does not have species from South Africa representing its most basal members.
Highlights
Therocephalians were important components of middle to late Permian terrestrial faunas in Russia and Africa (Abdala et al, 2014; Huttenlocker, Sidor & Angielczyk, 2015; Ivakhnenko, 2011)
Three large therocephalian lineages are recognized in the late Permian, Akidnognathidae, Whaitsoidea and Baurioidea, the first two being principally late Permian, while the latter is well represented in the Triassic (Huttenlocker, 2014)
In this paper we describe the first therocephalian from the Naobaogou Formation, represented by a well-preserved snout of a medium-sized animal
Summary
Therocephalians were important components of middle to late Permian terrestrial faunas in Russia and Africa (Abdala et al, 2014; Huttenlocker, Sidor & Angielczyk, 2015; Ivakhnenko, 2011). The high anterior wall of the sinus Highmori is mainly formed by the canine boss, the medial wall by the palatine, the posterior ridge by the palatine and lacrimal, and the lateral wall by the maxilla and lacrimal. Most of the ventral margin of the maxilla is slightly concave anteriorly, in front of the level of the canine alveolus and remarkably convex posteriorly (Fig. 2A). The vomer is wide anteriorly in order to abut the vomerine process of the premaxilla, but is narrow on its posterior end where it contacts with the pterygoid (Fig. 3) It has a long lateral suture with the palatine. The foramen opens in the posterior portion of the palatine sinus
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