Named By: | Chudinov in 1960 |
Time Period: | Middle Permian, 267 Ma |
Location: | Russia, Perm region |
Size: | E. uralensis about 4.5 meters long, E. mirabilis about 3 meters long |
Diet: | Herbivore |
Fossil(s): | Several specimens of complete and partial remains of individuals, including skin impressions |
Classification: | | Chordata | Synapsida | Therapsida | Dinocephalia | Estemmenosuchidae | |
Also known as: | | Anoplosuchus tenuirostris | Estemmenosuchus uralensis | Zopherosuchus luceus | |
Estemmenosuchus (meaning "crowned crocodile" in Greek) is a genus of large, early omnivorous therapsid. It is believed and interpreted to have lived during the middle part of the Middle Permian around 267 million years ago. The two species, E. uralensis and E. mirabilis, are characterised by distinctive horn-like structures, which were probably used for intra-specific display. Both species of Estemmenosuchus are from the Perm (or Cis-Urals) region of Russia. Two other estemmenosuchids, Anoplosuchus and Zopherosuchus, are now considered females of the species E. uralensis. There were many complete and incomplete skeletons found together.