Cotylorhynchus

Cotylorhynchus is an extinct genus of large caseid synapsids from Early Permian North America, known for its barrel-shaped body, tiny skull, and massive rib cage.

Connect

Caseidae: Caseidae is a family of herbivorous synapsids that flourished during the Permian. Cotylorhynchus is among the largest and best-known members of this family.
Herbivory: Herbivory is feeding primarily on plant material. The broad body and specialized teeth support interpreting Cotylorhynchus as a plant eater.
Cotylorhynchus romeri: Cotylorhynchus romeri is the type species of the genus, known from Early Permian deposits in Oklahoma. It anchors the genus and is represented by the largest known specimens.
North America: North America is a continent extending from the Arctic to Central America. The known Cotylorhynchus record comes from Early Permian sites in what is now the southern United States.
Evolution of herbivory: The evolution of herbivory is the repeated origin of plant-based diets across animal lineages. Caseids show that substantial plant eating arose early among synapsids.
Synapsid: A synapsid is a member of the vertebrate lineage that includes mammals and their extinct relatives. Its skull opening identifies Cotylorhynchus as part of this lineage.
Dental occlusion: Dental occlusion is the contact between upper and lower teeth during jaw closure. Tooth wear and jaw contact help test how caseids processed tough vegetation.
Cotylorhynchus hancocki: Cotylorhynchus hancocki is a species named from Early Permian fossils in Texas. Its Texas material extends the genus's documented occurrence beyond Oklahoma.
Pangaea: Pangaea was a supercontinent that assembled most of Earth's land during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic. Its habitat lay within the continental interior of Pangaea.
Body size: Body size is an organism's overall scale, commonly measured by mass or length. Cotylorhynchus demonstrates unusually large size among early Permian terrestrial vertebrates.