Skull anatomy and paleoneurology of a new traversodontid from the Middle-Late Triassic of Brazil

Abstract

Traversodontidae, a clade of gomphodont cynodonts, thrived during the Middle and Late Triassic, displaying a wide geographical distribution. During fieldwork in 2009, a new specimen was discovered in Ladinian/early Carnian stratigraphic layers in southern Brazil. Here, we describe this specimen and propose a new taxon closely related to Traversodon stahleckeri (Traversodontinae) but displaying a unique combination of traits (e.g., presence of a poorly developed suborbital process, mesiodistal length of the paracanine fossa similar to the length of the canine, short diastema between the fourth incisor and the upper canine, and coronoid process not entirely covering the distalmost lower postcanine). Furthermore, the endocranial anatomy of the new taxon was examined. The reconstruction of the cranial endocast revealed paleoneurological features consistent with non-Gomphodontosuchinae traversodontids. These features include the presence of a pineal body (but the absence of an open parietal foramen). These recent findings contribute significantly to our understanding of the evolutionary history and cranial anatomy of Middle-Late Triassic traversodontids, shedding light on the diversity and adaptations of non-mammaliaform cynodonts.