Teratophon

{{Short description|Extinct genus of reptiles}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = Middle Triassic, {{fossil_range|245|241}} | image = Iziko Teratophon skull.JPG | image_upright = 1.15 | image_caption = Fossil | taxon = Teratophon | authority = Modesto & Damiani, 2003 | type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Teratophon spinigenis''''' | type_species_authority = (Gow, 1977a [originally ''Thelegnathus spinigenis'']) }}

'''''Teratophon''''' is an extinct genus of procolophonine procolophonid parareptile from middle Triassic (early Anisian stage) deposits of Free State Province, South Africa. It is known from the holotype BP/1/4299, a nearly complete skull. It was collected by the South African palaeontologist, James W. Kitching from Hugoskop in the Rouxville District and referred to subzone B of the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone of the Burgersdorp Formation, Beaufort Group (Karoo Basin). It was first named by Sean P. Modesto and Ross J. Damiani in 2003 and the type species is ''Teratophon spinigenis''. It was first assigned to a species of ''Thelegnathus'' (now considered to be a ''nomen dubium''), ''Thelegnathus spinigenis''.<ref name=ThelegnathusND>{{cite journal |author1=Sean P. Modesto |author2=Ross J. Damiani |year=2003 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289895921 |title=Taxonomic status of ''Thelegnathus browni'' Broom, a procolophonid reptile from the South African Triassic |journal=Annals of Carnegie Museum |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=53–64 |doi=10.5962/p.215088 |s2cid=90233554 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=Thelegnathus>{{cite journal |author=C. E. Gow |year=1977 |title=New Procolophonids from the Triassic ''Cynognathus'' Zone of South Africa |journal=Annals of the South African Museum |volume=72 |issue=6 |pages=109–124 }}</ref> The distinguishing feature of this genus is a noticeable posterolateral spine-like process of the quadratojugal.<ref name=ThelegnathusND/>

==Phylogeny== In their phylogenetic analyses, Butler ''et al''. (2023) defined ''Teratophon'' as a sister taxon to ''Procolophon'' and ''Thelerpeton'' or only to ''Procolophon'' within Procolophoninae. The results are shown in two cladograms below:<ref name=Butler2023>{{Cite journal |last1=Butler |first1=R. J. |last2=Meade |first2=L. E. |last3=Cleary |first3=T. J. |last4=McWhirter |first4=K. T. |last5=Brown |first5=E. E. |last6=Kemp |first6=T. S. |last7=Benito |first7=J. |last8=Fraser |first8=N. C. |year=2023 |title=''Hwiccewyrm trispiculum'' gen. et sp. nov., a new leptopleuronine procolophonid from the Late Triassic of southwest England |journal=The Anatomical Record |doi=10.1002/ar.25316 |pmid=37735997 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

{{col-begin|width=95%}} {{col-2}}'''Analyses 1 and 3:''' Strict consensus of 760 and 18 most parsimonious trees (MPTs).{{clade|{{clade |label1=Procolophoninae |1={{clade |1='''''Teratophon''''' |2=''Thelerpeton'' |3=''Procolophon'' }} }} }}

{{col-2}}'''Analysis 2:''' Single MPT.{{clade|{{clade |label1=Procolophoninae |1={{clade |1=''Eumetabolodon bathycephalus'' |2={{clade |1=''Thelerpeton'' |2={{clade |1='''''Teratophon''''' |2=''Procolophon'' }} }} }} }} }} {{col-end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Procolophoninae Category:Middle Triassic reptiles of Africa Category:Fossil taxa described in 2003 Category:Anisian life Category:Prehistoric reptile genera