| Ictidodraco Temporal range:Late Permian | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Clade: | Therapsida |
| Clade: | †Therocephalia |
| Superfamily: | †Baurioidea |
| Genus: | †Ictidodraco Broom and Robinson,1948 |
| Type species | |
| †Ictidodraco longiceps Broom and Robinson, 1948 | |
Ictidodraco is an extinctgenus oftherocephaliantherapsids from theLate Permian ofSouth Africa. Thetype speciesIctidodraco longiceps was named by South African paleontologistsRobert Broom andJohn T. Robinson in 1948 from theCistecephalus Assemblage Zone.[1]Ictidodraco was once classified as ascaloposaurian in the familySilpholestidae.[2] Scaloposauria and Silpholestidae are no longer regarded as valid groups, andIctidodraco is now classified as abasal member of thecladeBaurioidea.[3]
Ictidodraco is a small therocephalian with a long, pointed snout. It has largeorbits or eye sockets that are enclosed by complete postorbital bars at the back margin of the sockets. The temporal openings behind the orbits are relatively small. At the top of the skull, between the two temporal openings, theparietal region is wide. Unlike those of other therocephalians, the parietal does not form a distinctivesagittal crest.
As in other advanced therocephaliansIctidodraco has a smallsecondary palate. A secondary palate is aderived feature that gives advanced therocephalians a very mammal-like appearance, although it developed independently in the group as a result ofconvergence.[4]
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