Saurorictus australis

The most complete captorhinid from the Late Permian and the southernmost representative of the family.

Name

Saurorictus australis

Authority

Modesto & Smith, 2001

Meaning of generic name

The generic name is derived from sauros, Greek for ‘‘lizard,’’ and rictus, a Latin word meaning ‘‘display of teeth,’’ ‘‘grin,’’ or ‘‘smile,’’ thus ‘‘lizard-smile’’.

[Meaning of specific name

"of the South"]

Size

Skull length: 22 mm, Length: ?15 cm

Remains

Holotype (SAM PK-8666): skull and few postcranial fragments

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone, Teeklof Formation, middle Tatarian, Upper Permian (Wuchiapingian).

Locality: farm Leeukloof 43, Beaufort West District, Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Classification

Eureptilia Captorhinidae

Further Reading

S. P. Modesto and R. M. H. Smith. 2001. A new Late Permian captorhinid reptile: a first record from the South African Karoo. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21(3):405-409.