| Cryptodontia Temporal range:Middle Permian -Late Permian | |
|---|---|
| Skull ofOudenodon latirostris | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Clade: | Therapsida |
| Clade: | †Anomodontia |
| Clade: | †Dicynodontia |
| Clade: | †Bidentalia |
| Clade: | †Cryptodontia Owen,1860 |
| Subgroups | |
| Synonyms | |
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Cryptodontia is a group ofdicynodonttherapsids that includes the familiesGeikiidae,Oudenodontidae, andRhachiocephalidae. It was first named in 1860 by English paleontologistRichard Owen. Owen intended Cryptodontia to be a family, and the name was later changed to "Cryptodontidae" to reflect this ranking. The name Cryptodontia was restored in 2009 when it was redefined as a largerclade containing several families of dicynodonts.[1]
Below is acladogram from Kammereret al. (2011) showing thephylogenetic placement of Cryptodontia:
Below is a cladogram by Angielczyk and Otoo, 2025 in their description of the speciesMdomowabata trilobops, depicting the interrelationships of cryptodonts in more detail.[2]