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Description

A selection of the early therapsids known as biarmosuchians, to scale.

Therapsids are the lineage of synapsids that included many diverse groups and ultimately led to mammals. Biarmosuchians are a basal therapsid group due to some shared similarities with their sphenacodont ancestors. They had elongated canines and large jaw muscles suggesting a strong bite. The majority of biarmosuchians fall within the burnetiamorph clade, known for elaborate cranial ornamentation consisting of horns and bumpy outgrowths. A thickened dome on the skull suggesting head-butting behaviour. Burnetiamorphs were mostly moderately-sized carnivores and were relatively rare in Permian ecosystems .

Description

A selection of the early therapsids known as biarmosuchians, to scale.

Therapsids are the lineage of synapsids that included many diverse groups and ultimately led to mammals. Biarmosuchians are a basal therapsid group due to some shared similarities with their sphenacodont ancestors. They had elongated canines and large jaw muscles suggesting a strong bite. The majority of biarmosuchians fall within the burnetiamorph clade, known for elaborate cranial ornamentation consisting of horns and bumpy outgrowths. A thickened dome on the skull suggesting head-butting behaviour. Burnetiamorphs were mostly moderately-sized carnivores and were relatively rare in Permian ecosystems .