Pumiliopareia

Pumiliopareia
Temporal range: Changhsingian,
Life restoration of Pumiliopareia pricei
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Pareiasauria
Genus: Pumiliopareia
Lee, 1997
Type species
Nanoparia pricei
Broom and Robinson, 1948
Synonyms
  • Nanoparia pricei Broom and Robinson, 1948
  • Pareiasaurus pricei Broom and Robinson, 1948

Pumiliopareia is an extinct genus of pareiasaurid parareptile from the Permian period of South Africa. It is known from a complete skeleton with osteoderms.

Description

Pumiliopareia was about 50 cm (19.6 in) in length with a 12 cm (4.7 in) skull. It is the smallest known member of the pareiasaurs, measuring only a fifth as long as some of its larger relatives. Like Anthodon, its body was entirely covered with osteoderms.

Classification

Originally included under the genus Nanoparia,[1] it was given its own name by Lee 1997 who found it did not form a clade with Nanoparia luckhoffi, the type species of that genus, and preferred to have monophyletic genera.[2]

References

  1. ^ Broom, R.; Robinson, J.T. (1948). "Two new cotylosaurian reptiles". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 21 (1): 51–54.
  2. ^ Lee, M.S.Y. (1997). "A taxonomic revision of pareiasaurian reptiles: implications for Permian terrestrial ecology". Modern Geology. 21: 231–298.