The tetrapod fauna of the upper Permian Naobaogou Formation of China: 5. Caodeyao liuyufengi gen. et sp. nov., a new peculiar therocephalian

LIU, JUN; ABDALA, FERNANDO

PeerJ

PeerJ

Año: 2020 vol. 8

The upper Permian Naobaogou Formation has been the goal of recent contributionsthat notably increased the knowledge of its terrestrial vertebrate fauna and unravelleda hidden late Permian therocephalian diversity in China. Two very different species oftherocephalians have been documented in the Naobaogou Formation and they wererecovered as basal akidnognathids in cladistic analyses. In this contribution we describeCaodeyao liuyufengi gen. et sp. nov., represented by a partial skull and mandible, and ahumerus. The new taxon features a short, high snout and a wide temporal opening withthe coronoid process of the mandible separated by a wide space medially to the zygomaticarch. The latter feature is only recognized in the Russian therocephalian Purloviamaxima and it is also characteristic of non-mammaliaform cynodonts. Phylogeneticanalysis indicates a close relationship of the new Chinese taxon with Purlovia maxima,producing a monophyletic Laurasian group in therocephalian phylogeny. With therepresentation of three different species, the Naobaogou Formation is now the mostprolific unit documenting therocephalian late Permian diversity in China.