The tetrapod fauna of the upper Permian Naobaogou Formation of China: 1. Shiguaignathus wangi gen. et sp. nov., the first akidnognathid therocephalian from China

LIU, J.; ABDALA, F.

PeerJ

PeerJ

Año: 2017

2167-8359

The Permian from China has a well-known terrestrial record where approximately 30tetrapod taxa, including several therapsids, have been described. However, the record oftherocephalians in China has remained elusive. Shiguaignathus wangi gen. et sp. nov.,discovered in the Member III of the Naobaogou Formation, Nei Mongol, China, ishere described. This is the first therocephalian recovered from this fauna and only thesecond from the Permian of China. It is represented by a well-preserved robust snoutof a medium-sized animal. This is the first akidnognathid reported from the ChinesePermian and only the second genus from Laurasia as one genus is known from Russiawhereas the remaining members of the group are from the South African Karoo Basin.A phylogenetic analysis of therocephalians supports a basal position of S. wangi withinAkidnognathidae, followed by the Russian Annatherapsidus. Akidnognathidae is thelatest major group of therocephalian appearing in the fossil record, and one of the fewthat does not have species from South Africa representing its most basal members.