What are Cynognathus characteristics?

Cynognathus was approximately as large as a modern wolf and, like the wolf, was an active predator. The body of Cynognathus was not massively constructed. The tail was short, and the limbs were tucked well under and close to the body, providing the potential for rapid and efficient locomotion.

What is the meaning of Cynognathus?

Definition of Cynognathus : a genus of large carnivorous therapsid reptiles (suborder Theriodontia) that greatly resembled mammals in form, were presumably near the direct ancestral line of the true mammals, and are known chiefly from remains found in the Karroo formation of the Triassic.

Why is the Cynognathus important?

The presence of the fossils in rocks on the southern hemisphere continents was one of the pieces of evidence that Alfred Wegener used to match up the modern continents, placing them together in the single, huge landmass of Pangaea.

What type of organism was Cynognathus?

Untitled Document. Cynognathus were relatively large terrestrial predators that had mammalian and reptilian-like features. According to fossil records these extinct tetrapodal organisms grew to about two meters in length (NHM 2010).

Who discovered Cynognathus?

Cynognathus was a mammal-like reptile which lived approximately 245 million to 230 million years ago during the Middle Triassic Period. It was first discovered in 1895 by British paleontologist Harry Seeley and was given its name the same year. This therapsid’s name means “dog jaw.”

How long is a Cynognathus?

3.9 ft.Cynognathus / Length

What does the Cynognathus fossil tell about the initial location and position of South America and Africa?

This suggests that South America and Africa were joined during the Early Permian. Cynognathus is an extinct mammal-like reptile. The name literally means ‘dog jaw’. Cynognathus was as large as a modern wolf and lived during the early to mid Triassic period (250 to 240 million years ago).

How big is a Cynognathus?

Cynognathus was a heavily built animal, and measured around 1 metre (3.3 ft) in body length. It had a particularly large head, 30 centimeters (1.0 ft) in length, with wide jaws and sharp teeth.

When did the Cynognathus live?

247.2 million years ago – 228 million years ago (Anisian – Carnian)Cynognathus / Lived

How long ago did Cynognathus live?

What did Cynognathus eat?

KannemeyeriaCynognathus / Eats

Did Cynognathus lay eggs?

Paleontologists believe Cynognathus sported a thick coat of hair and may have given birth to live young (rather than laying eggs, like most reptiles); we know for a fact that it possessed a very mammal-like diaphragm, which enabled it to breathe more efficiently.