Brithopus is an extinct genus of . It contains a single species, Brithopus priscus, known from fragmentary remains found in the Copper
Sandstones near Isheevo, Russia.
Description
Brithopus was fairly large, reaching a length of 2.5–3 m (8–10 ft).
The skull was similar to
Titanophoneus, but more massive and heavily built.
[Olson, E.C. (1962). "Lopingian terrestrial vertebrates, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R." Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Series, 52: 1–224.]
Classification
B. priscus was first named in 1838 and was traditionally classified in the
Anteosauria, a group of carnivorous dinocephalians.
Brithopus served as the basis for the family Brithopodidae, which once included many anteosaurian species. Because it is based on fragmentary material,
Brithopus is regarded as a
nomen dubium by some researchers.
Brithopus was later considered a possible
estemmenosuchid,
[Kammerer, C. F. 2010. Systematics of the Anteosauria (Therapsida: Dinocephalia). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 9, 261-304.] a type of herbivorous
therapsid.
Dinosaurus and Eurosaurus have both been considered synonyms of Brithopus.[Battail, B., and Surkov, M. V. (2000). "Mammal-like reptiles from Russia." The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia, 86-119.]
See also
External links
