A New Pareiasaur (Parareptilia) from the Lower Vyatkian (Upper Permian) of Orenburg Region, Russia

Abstract

Abstract: A new genus and species of pareiasaurs, Senectosaurus karamzini Boyarinova et Golubev gen. et sp. nov., is described based on remains of the postcranial skeleton of a large adult individual from the Lower Vyatkian of the Preobrazhenka-2 locality (Orenburg Region). The new pareiasaur is characterized by large postcranial platform-type osteoderms. The osteoderms are flattened, with flat ventral and slightly convex dorsal surfaces, and one to three contact facets of serrate or squamous sutures with adjacent osteoderms, without dorsal elevation and fossae circumcinctae but with numerous large fossae on the dorsal surface of the platform. The absence of the dorsal elevation distinguishes the new pareiasaur from all known pareiasaurs with postcranial osteoderms.