Gorgonops

The genus contains up to 6 species with only one being well established, G. torvus. The others five are G. capensis (=Scylacops capensis, S. bigendens), G. dixeyi (=Chiwetasaurus dixeyi), G. eupachygnathus (= Leptotrachelus eupachygnathus, Scymnosuchus whaitsi), G. kaiseri (=Pachyrhinos kaiseri), G. whaitsi (=Scymnognathus whaitsi) with uncertain to dubious validity due to the poorly preserved state of their fossils.

Name

Gorgonops

Authority

Owen, 1876

Meaning of generic name

Gorgon face

Size

Length: 1.2 m , Skull length: 22 cm

Remains

Holotype (BMNH R 1647): [?]

Referred specimens: AMNH 5515, BPI 277, BPI 290, BPI 386, BPI 385, SAM 2671 (Type of G. longifrons)

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Tropidostoma and/or Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone, Beaufort Group, Upper Permian (Wuchiapingian).

Locality: Mildenhalls, Fort Beaufort, South Africa.

Classification

Synapsida Therapsida Gorgonopsia Gorgonopsidae

Further Reading

R. Broom. 1913. A revision of the reptiles of the Karroo. Annals of the South African Museum 7(6):361-366.

Sigogneau, D., 1970. Revision Systematique des Gorgonopsiens Sud-Africains: Cahiers de Paleontologie, 414pp.

Gebauer E., 2007. Phylogeny and Evolution of the Gorgonopsia with a Special Reference to the Skull and Skeleton of GPIT/RE/7113, doctoral dissertation.

Synonyms

Gorgonops cf. whaitsi Sigogneau, 1970, Gorgonognathus longifrons Haughton, 1915, Gorgonops longifrons Haughton, 1915 in Sigogneau, 1970

Image by Nobu Tamura (click to enlarge)

Gorgonops whaitsi: