In March 2023, paleontologists discovered bonebeds in the Navajo Sandstone near Lake Powell containing rare fossils of these prehistoric creatures, known as synapsid reptiles.

Several synapsid groups evolved a secondary palate during the Permian, or a shelf of bone that separates the nose from the mouth and throat. If you stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth ...

Although we thought we were studying only one animal, Asaphestera intermedia, one of our major findings was recognizing that what previous paleontologists had thought was a single animal was actually ...

However, our study showed that most synapsid limbs functioned differently than those of modern reptiles,” says Dr. Kenneth Angielczyk, a co-author of the study.

Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems. Communications Biology, 2024; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05879-2 ...

The synapsid collection is rich in holotypes, so remains a vital destination for taxonomists. These include: Dicynodon lacerticeps Owen 1845, Endothiodon bathystoma Owen 1876, Cynognathus craternotus ...

'Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems' by S.A Singh, A Elsler, T.L Stubbs, Mike Benton et al in Communications Biology, 201 (2024 ...

"Lisowicia is the largest synapsid from the Triassic and is even larger than some synapsids from Permian," says Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki, a professor at Uppsala University and lead author of the paper.

By comparing the biomechanics of two modern animals, cat and lizard, and CT scans of synapsid fossils, the researchers overturned the traditional notion that the gradual accumulation of different ...