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Walking with Dinosaurs - Fact File: Cynodont (143 words) |
 | The term "cynodont" refers to a broad group of extinct mammal-like reptiles, the Cynodontia. |
| The presence of whiskers implies body hair and suggests cynodont was warm blooded. |
| The cynodont and Placerias were distant relatives but the cynodont was more mammal-like. |
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Palaeos Vertebrates 410.000 Cynodontia Overview (1753 words) |
| Even the earliest cynodonts, the Procynosuchidae of the Late Permian, show many advanced mammalian characteristics, such as a reduced number of bones in the lower jaw, a secondary bony palate and a complex pattern of the crowns of their cheek teeth. |
| Cynodont and early mammalian brains were larger than sauropsid (reptilian) brains not because they were more intelligent, but because of the enlarged olfactory and auditory bulbs. |
| The principle issues are (a) the development of the characteristic mammalian jaw musculature and jaw articulation (b) the enlargement of the brain (c) the evolution of the mammalian middle ear, and (d) the beginnings of the unique mammalian feeding style and molar dentition. |
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