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Varanosaurus Temporal range: Early Permian, 290–273 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A reconstruction of Varanosaurus acutirostris
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Family:	†Ophiacodontidae
Genus:	†Varanosaurus Broili, 1904
Type species
†Varanosaurus acutirostris Broili, 1904
Species
†V. acutirostris Broili 1904 (type) †V. wichitaensis Romer 1937

Varanosaurus ('monitor lizard') is an extinct genus of early ophiacodontid synapsid that lived during the Artinskian and Kungurian ages of the Permian.

Description

As its name implies, Varanosaurus may have looked superficially similar to present-day monitor lizards, though not related at all.

Varanosaurus had a flattened, elongated skull and a pointed snout with a row of sharp teeth, including two pairs of conspicuous pseudocanines, implying that it was an active predator.

Varanosaurus probably lived in swamps, competing with the larger Ophiacodon for food.

Classification

Below is a cladogram modified from the analysis of Benson (2012):

See also

• List of pelycosaurs

References

1. "Varanosaurus". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
2. A. S. Romer. 1937. New genera and species of pelycosaurian reptiles. Proceedings of the New England Zoölogical Club 16:89-95
3. R. R. Reisz. 1986. Pelycosauria. Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie / Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology 17A:1-102
4. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 187. ISBN 978-1-84028-152-1.
5. Benson, R.J. (2012). "Interrelationships of basal synapsids: cranial and postcranial morphological partitions suggest different topologies". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 10 (4): 601–624. doi:10.1080/14772019.2011.631042. S2CID 84706899.

Further reading

• Benes, Josef. Prehistoric Animals and Plants. Pg. 90. Artia: Prague, 1979.

v t e Synapsida
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Superclass: Tetrapoda Clade: Amniota Tetrapodomorpha see Tetrapodomorpha Reptiliomorpha see Reptiliomorpha Synapsida see below↓
Synapsida Synapsida †Diadectomorpha? †Caseasauria? Eothyrididae Asaphestera? Eothyris Oedaleops Vaughnictis Caseidae Alierasaurus Angelosaurus Arisierpeton Callibrachion Casea Caseoides Caseopsis Cotylorhynchus Datheosaurus Ennatosaurus Eocasea Euromycter Lalieudorhynchus Martensius Oromycter Phreatophasma Ruthenosaurus Trichasaurus Eupelycosauria †Varanopidae? Apsisaurus Archaeovenator Ascendonanus Eoscansor Dendromaia Nitosaurus? Pyozia Thrausmosaurus Mesenosaurinae Anningia Cabarzia Elliotsmithia Heleosaurus Mesenosaurus Microvaranops Varanodontinae Aerosaurus Mycterosaurus? Ruthiromia Tambacarnifex Varanops Varanodon Watongia Metopophora see below↓ Incertae sedis †Dimacrodon †Driveria †Gorgodon †Knoxosaurus †Mastersonia †Protoclepsydrops?
Metopophora †Ophiacodontidae Archaeothyris Baldwinonus Clepsydrops Echinerpeton Ophiacodon Stereophallodon Stereorhachis Varanosaurus Haptodontiformes †Ianthodon †Milosaurus †Edaphosauridae Bohemiclavulus Edaphosaurus Glaucosaurus Gordodon Ianthasaurus Lupeosaurus Melanedaphodon Ramodendron Remigiomontanus Xyrospondylus Sphenacodontia †Cutleria †Haptodus †Hypselohaptodus †Kenomagnathus †Tetraceratops †Palaeohatteriidae Palaeohatteria Pantelosaurus Sphenacodontoidea †Shashajaia †Sphenacodontidae Cryptovenator Ctenorhachis Ctenospondylus Cutleria? Dimetrodon Eosyodon Macromerion Neosaurus Secodontosaurus Sphenacodon Steppesaurus? Tappenosaurus? Tetraceratops? Therapsida see below↓
Therapsida Therapsida †Raranimus †Biarmosuchia see Biarmosuchia †Dinocephalia see Dinocephalia †Anomodontia see Anomodontia includes dicynodonts †Gorgonopsia see Gorgonopsia Eutheriodontia †Therocephalia see Therocephalia Cynodontia see Cynodontia includes mammals Incertae sedis †Dinosaurus †Kamagorgon †Niaftasuchus
See also: Pelycosauria Phthinosuchia Theriodontia Category

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• Ophiacodontids
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