Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 74

Therapsida - Taxonomy and Phylogeny

An order of fossil reptiles including the direct ancestors of the mammals; known mainly from the Permian and Triassic periods; many with well-differentiated dentitions; some with a secondary palate, and mammal-like limbs, but only one middle-ear bone. (Subclass: Synapsida.)

iTherapsids
Fossil range: Early Permian - Early Cretaceous (non-mammalian)

Phthinosuchus, an early therapsid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Class: Synapsida
(unranked) Sphenacodontia
Order: Therapsida *
Broom, 1905
Clades
Suborder Biarmosuchia * Suborder Dinocephalia Suborder Anomodontia * Infraorder Dicynodontia (unranked) Theriodontia * Suborder Gorgonopsia Suborder Therocephalia Suborder Cynodontia *

Therapsids, previously known as the "mammal-like reptiles", are an order of synapsids.

Taxonomy and Phylogeny

Class Synapsida ORDER THERAPSIDA * Suborder Biarmosuchia * Family Biarmosuchidae Biarmosuchus Family Eotitanosuchidae Eotitanosuchus Eutherapsida Suborder Dinocephalia Family Estemmenosuchidae Estemmenosuchus Anteosauria Family Syodontidae Family Brithopodidae Family Anteosauridae Tapinocephalia Family Titanosuchidae Family Tapinocephalidae Neotherapsida Suborder Anomodontia * Superfamily Venyukoviamorpha Family Venyukoviidae Suminia Infraorder Dicynodonta Theriodontia * Suborder Gorgonopsia Family Gorgonopsidae Eutheriodontia Suborder Therocephalia Suborder Cynodontia * Superorder Mammaliformes * Class Mammalia

User Comments Add a comment…

Theravada - History, Philosophy, Scriptures, Praxis, Festivals and customs [next] [back] theosophy - The three objects, Basic Theosophical beliefs, A brief history of Theosophy