Caseidae
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Caseidae are an extinct family of basal synapsids that lived from the Late Carboniferous to Middle Permian between about 300 and 265 million years ago. Fossils of these animals come from the south-cen
Cotylorhynchus romeri
Skull of Euromycter rutenus in ventral view allowing to see the numerous small teeth adorning the bones of the palate (the parasphenoid, triangular in shape in the center, and the very elongated pterygoids on each side). The hyoid apparatus is not present here because it was removed during the preparation of the palate.
Skeleton of Cotylorhynchus romeri on display at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
Holotype of the faunivorous caseid Callibrachion gaudryi preserved on the back (A). Detail of the right hand (B). Right ilium covered dorsally by the proximal end of the femur (C). Coprolites of sharks placed on the slab of the holotype during the 19th century (D).
Alierasaurus
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Alierasaurus is an extinct genus of caseid synapsid that lived during the early Middle Permian in what is now Sardinia. It is represented by a single species, the type species Alierasaurus ronchii. Kn
Caseidae
…adopted a herbivorous diet. Some have evolved into gigantic forms that can reach 6–7 metres (20–23 ft) in length, such as Cotylorhynchus hancocki and Alierasaurus ronchii, making them the largest Permian synapsids. Caseids are considered important components of early terrestrial ecosystems in vertebrate history because…
Alierasaurus reconstruction
Ungual phalanx (which supported a horny claw) of Alierasaurus ronchii in dorsal and right lateral views
The Torre del Porticciolo promontory, where the remains of Alierasaurus were discovered
Caudal vertebra of Alierasaurus ronchii in lateral, anterior and posterior views