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Gorgonopsia ("Gorgon face") is a suborder of therapsid synapsid
Synapsid

Synapsids , also known as theropsids , are a class of animals that includes mammals and everything closer to mammals than to other living amniotes....
s. Their name is a reference to the Gorgon
Gorgon

In Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a vicious monster with sharp fangs. She was a protective deity from early religious concepts. Her power was so strong that one attempting to look upon her, would be turned to stone, therefore, such images were put upon items from temples to wine kraters for protection....
s of Greek mythology
Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the Ancient Greece concerning their List of Greek mythological figures#Immortals and Greek hero cult, Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices....
. Like other therapsids, gorgonopsians were at one time called "mammal-like reptiles", though in most current classifcation systems, they are not true reptile
Reptile

Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that have skin covered in scale as opposed to hair or feathers....
s, but instead are much more closely related to true mammal
Mammal

Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young....
s. Their mammalian specializations include differentiated (heterodont) tooth shape, a fully developed temporal fenestra, pillar-like rear legs, and ear bones.






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Gorgonopsia ("Gorgon face") is a suborder of therapsid synapsid
Synapsid

Synapsids , also known as theropsids , are a class of animals that includes mammals and everything closer to mammals than to other living amniotes....
s. Their name is a reference to the Gorgon
Gorgon

In Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a vicious monster with sharp fangs. She was a protective deity from early religious concepts. Her power was so strong that one attempting to look upon her, would be turned to stone, therefore, such images were put upon items from temples to wine kraters for protection....
s of Greek mythology
Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the Ancient Greece concerning their List of Greek mythological figures#Immortals and Greek hero cult, Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices....
. Like other therapsids, gorgonopsians were at one time called "mammal-like reptiles", though in most current classifcation systems, they are not true reptile
Reptile

Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that have skin covered in scale as opposed to hair or feathers....
s, but instead are much more closely related to true mammal
Mammal

Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young....
s. Their mammalian specializations include differentiated (heterodont) tooth shape, a fully developed temporal fenestra, pillar-like rear legs, and ear bones. Gorgonopsians are a part of a group of therapsids called theriodont
Theriodont

Theriodonts , are the third main group of therapsids. They can be defined in traditional, Linnaean taxonomy terms, in which case they are a suborder of mammal-like reptiles that lived from the Middle Permian to the Middle Cretaceous, or in cladistics terms, in which case they include not only the traditional theriodonts but also their descend...
s, which includes mammals. They were among the largest carnivores of the late Permian
Permian

The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Roderick Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian system" after the ancient kingdom...
. The largest known, Inostrancevia
Inostrancevia

Inostrancevia was a genus of gorgonopsid therapsid found in Sokolki, on the Smaller Northern Dvina River near Arkhangelsk in Russia. The animal lived 251 million years ago during the Late Permian....
, was the size of a large bear with a 45 cm long skull, and 12-cm long saber-like teeth (clearly an adaptation to being a carnivore). It is unknown whether they had fur
Fur

Fur is a Hair of any non-human mammal, also known as the pelage. It may consist of short ground hair, long guard hair, and, in some cases, medium awn hair....
, scales
Scale (zoology)

In most biology nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration....
, or naked skin
Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
.

Evolutionary history

Gorgonopsids (Gorgonopsia) are theriodont
Theriodont

Theriodonts , are the third main group of therapsids. They can be defined in traditional, Linnaean taxonomy terms, in which case they are a suborder of mammal-like reptiles that lived from the Middle Permian to the Middle Cretaceous, or in cladistics terms, in which case they include not only the traditional theriodonts but also their descend...
s of the therapsid order, to which cynodont
Cynodont

Cynodonts, or 'dog teeth', are a taxon of Therapsids which includes modern mammals and their extinct close relatives. They were one of the most diverse groups of therapsids....
s and their descendants, the mammal
Mammal

Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young....
s, belong. Gorgonopsians evolved in the Middle Permian. They evolved from a reptile
Reptile

Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that have skin covered in scale as opposed to hair or feathers....
-like therapsid that lived in the Middle Permian
Permian

The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Roderick Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian system" after the ancient kingdom...
. The early gorgonopsians were small, being no larger than a dog
Dog

The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties....
. The extinction of dinocephalians (who dominated the Middle Permian world) led the gorgonopsians to be the dominant predators of the Late Permian. Some had approached the size of a rhinoceros
Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros , often colloquially abbreviated rhino, is a name used to group five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae....
, such as Inostrancevia
Inostrancevia

Inostrancevia was a genus of gorgonopsid therapsid found in Sokolki, on the Smaller Northern Dvina River near Arkhangelsk in Russia. The animal lived 251 million years ago during the Late Permian....
, the largest of the Gorgonopsians. The Gorgonopsia became extinct
Extinction

In biology and ecology, extinction is the death of every member of a species or group of taxon. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species ....
 at the end of the Permian period
Permian-Triassic extinction event

The Permian?Triassic extinction event, informally known as the Great Dying, was an extinction event that occurred , forming the boundary between the Permian and Triassic geologic periods....
, being the only theriodont line to become extinct by this mass extinction.

Classification

The gorgonopsians are one of the three groups of theriodonts (the other two were the therocephalia
Therocephalia

Therocephalians are an extinct lineage of eutheriodont therapsids that lived throughout the middle and late Permian and into the Triassic. The therocephalians are named after their large skulls, which, along with their teeth, suggest that most were successful carnivores....
ns, and the cynodont
Cynodont

Cynodonts, or 'dog teeth', are a taxon of Therapsids which includes modern mammals and their extinct close relatives. They were one of the most diverse groups of therapsids....
s). Theriodonts are related to the herbivorous Anomodontia. Gorgonopsia includes three subfamilies
Scientific classification

Biological classification or scientific classification in biology, is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms....
, the Gorgonopsinae, Rubidgeinae and Inostranceviinae, plus a larger number of genera
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 that have not been placed in any of these groups. A total of 25 genera and 41 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
, with the genera described most completely being Dinogorgon
Dinogorgon

Dinogorgon was a gorgonopsid that lived in the Late Permian period of South Africa. Dinogorgon was a predator that ate reptiles and smaller therapsids....
, Inostrancevia and Rubidgea
Rubidgea

Rubidgea is an extinct genus of therapsid. It had very large canines...
.

The most comprehensive review of the group is by Sigogneau-Russell, 1989. However, there has not been a detailed cladistic
Cladistics

Cladistics is the hierarchical classification of species based on evolutionary ancestry. Cladistics is distinguished from other taxonomic systems because it focuses on evolution rather than similarities between species, and because it places heavy emphasis on objective, quantitative analysis....
 assessment of the phylogeny of these animals. ]] ]] ]]

  • Order Therapsida
    Therapsida

    Therapsids are an Order of synapsids ,and are believed to include mammals and their immediate evolutionary ancestors....
  • SUBORDER GORGONOPSIA
    • Family Gorgonopsidae
      • Aelurognathus
        Aelurognathus

        Aelurognathus is an extinct genus of therapsid....
      • Aelurosaurus
        Aelurosaurus

        Aelurosaurus is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Owen in 1881, and contains four species, A. angusticeps, A. felinus, A. striatidens, and A. whaitsi....
      • Aloposaurus
        Aloposaurus

        Aloposaurus is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1910, and contains one species, A. gracilis....
      • Arctognathus
        Arctognathus

        Arctognathus is an extinct genus of therapsid.Galleryognathus curvimola.jpgFile:Arctognathus 2sp.jpgru:?????????...
      • Arctops
        Arctops

        Arctops is an extinct genus of therapsid known from South Africa.Gallery...
      • Broomisaurus
        Broomisaurus

        Broomisaurus is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1913, and contains two species, B. planiceps and B. rubidgei....
      • Cephalicustriodus
      • Cerdorhinus
      • Clelandina
        Clelandina

        'Clelandina' is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1948, and contains four species, C. majora, C. maximus, C....
      • Cyanosaurus
        Cyanosaurus

        Cyonosaurus is a genus of the suborder Gorgonopsia.There are five species in this genera.The tipe species is C.longiceps.The other species are C.kitchingi, C.rubidgei, C.broomianus, C.tenuirostris.They lived in the late permian...
      • Dinogorgon
        Dinogorgon

        Dinogorgon was a gorgonopsid that lived in the Late Permian period of South Africa. Dinogorgon was a predator that ate reptiles and smaller therapsids....
      • Eoarctops
        Eoarctops

        Eoarctops is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Haughton in 1929, and contains one species, E. vanderbyli. The jaw of an Eoarctops shows four or five upper incisors, a Canine and three molars in the same margin....
      • Galesuchus
        Galesuchus

        Galesuchus is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. Its fossils have been found in Africa, in the Middle-Permian rocks. Galesuchus had a small skull and a short snout....
      • Gorgonops
        Gorgonops

        File:Gorgonops BW.jpgGorgonops is the name given to an extinct genus of therapsid which lived about 255-250 million years ago, during the latest part of the Permian Period ....
      • Leontocephalus
        Leontocephalus

        'Leontocephalus' is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1940, and contains four species, L. cadlei, L. haughtoni, L....
      • Lycaenops
        Lycaenops

        Lycaenops is a genus of carnivore therapsid . It measured about 1 meter long and lived during the late mid-Permian to the early Late Permian in what is now South Africa....
      • Paragalerhinus
        Paragalerhinus

        Paragalerhinus is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Sigogneau in 1970, and contains one species, P. rubidgei....
      • Scylacognathus
        Scylacognathus

        'Scylacognathus' is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1913, and contains four species, S. grimbeeki, S. major, S....
      • Sycosaurus
        Sycosaurus

        'Sycosaurus' is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Haughton in 1924, and contains four species, S. brodiei, S. kingoriensis, S....
      • Viatkogorgon
        Viatkogorgon

        Viatkogorgon is an extinct genus of therapsid....
      • Subfamily Gorgonopsinae
        • Sauroctonus
          Sauroctonus

          Sauroctonus was a large gorgonopsid that lived in Late Permian epoch before the Permian-Triassic extinction event that wiped out many life forms on Earth ....
        • Scylacops
          Scylacops

          Scylacops is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1913, and contains two species, S. bigendens, and S. capensis....
      • Subfamily Rubidgeinae
        • Broomicephalus
          Broomicephalus

          Broomicephalus is an extinct genus of therapsid....
        • Niuksenitia
        • Prorubidgea
          Prorubidgea

          'Prorubidgea' is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1940, and contains six species, P. robusta, P. alticeps, P....
        • Rubidgea
          Rubidgea

          Rubidgea is an extinct genus of therapsid. It had very large canines...
      • Subfamily Inostranceviinae
        • Inostrancevia
          Inostrancevia

          Inostrancevia was a genus of gorgonopsid therapsid found in Sokolki, on the Smaller Northern Dvina River near Arkhangelsk in Russia. The animal lived 251 million years ago during the Late Permian....
        • Pravoslavleria
          Pravoslavleria

          Pravoslavlevia is a genus of the suborder Gorgonopsia.It lived in the late permian and is part of the Sokolki subcomplex of Russia.It had a skull 22cm long.The animals total leingth was about 1,4 meters.Only one species is known....


In popular culture

Gorgonopsids have appeared in several television programs animated by the special effects studio Framestore CFC
Framestore CFC

Framestore is the largest digital visual effects company in Europe. Based in London, it was formed in 2001 by a merger between the Computer Film Company and Framestore, which had previously been separate parts of the FrameStore Group of companies....
. A gorgonopsid was featured in the third episode of the BBC program Walking With Monsters
Walking with Monsters

Walking with Monsters is a three-part British documentary film series about life in the Paleozoic, bringing to life extinct arthropods, fish, amphibians, synapsids, and reptiles....
, and more recently the first and sixth episodes of the ITV series Primeval. Also they appeared on the video game Turok (2008 video game)

See also

  • Therocephalia
    Therocephalia

    Therocephalians are an extinct lineage of eutheriodont therapsids that lived throughout the middle and late Permian and into the Triassic. The therocephalians are named after their large skulls, which, along with their teeth, suggest that most were successful carnivores....
  • Evolution of mammals
    Evolution of mammals

    __FORCETOC__The evolution of mammals from synapsids was a gradual process which took approximately 70 million years, beginning in the mid-Permian....