Bienotherium
Temporal range: Hettangian–Sinemurian
Bienotherium yuannanese
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Therapsida
Clade: Cynodontia
Family: †Tritylodontidae
Genus: †Bienotherium
Young, 1940[1]
Species
Synonyms
  • B. elegans (B. yuannanese)[2]

Bienotherium is an extinct genus of cynodonts from the Early Jurassic of China discovered by Bian Meinian (Mei Nien Bien).[2] Despite its size, it is closely related to Lufengia, and is the largest tritylodont from the Lufeng Formation in China.[3]

Bienotherium had four incisors, no canines, and back molar-like teeth, which it used to chew tough plant material.[4]

Description

Bienotherium is defined as being big and robust compared to other tritylodonts, and also by exposed maxillaries in the skull, an unusually long diastema and thin zygomatic bone.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Paleobiology Database". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Palæos Vertebrates". Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Lucas, Spencer G. (2001). Chinese Fossil Vertebrates. New York City, Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press. p. 133. ISBN 0-231-08482-X. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  4. ^ Blount, Kitty; Crowley, Maggie; Bada, Kathleen; Malyan, Susan; Sparrow, Giles; Thiro, Rosalyn; Walisiewicz, Marek, eds. (2008) [2001]. Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life. New York City: DK Publishing Special Markets. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-7566-3836-8.

Further reading

Chinese Fossil Vertebrates, p. 133



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