A new stem saurian reptile from the late Permian of South Africa and insights into saurian evolution.

ABSTRACT: The evolutionary radiation of diapsid reptiles that includes all extant and most extinct reptiles is well-represented in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossil records, however, the earliest stages recorded in the Paleozoic Era are limited to comparatively few taxa. Consequently, the origins of Sauria, the crown-group of Diapsida, remains poorly understood and the phylogenetic positions of the few known taxa along the saurian stem are controversial. Here, we describe Akkedops bremneri sp. et gen. nov., a new early late Permian stem saurian from the Karoo of South Africa based on two skulls and show that the famous aggregation of "juvenile Youngina" SAM-PK-K7710 is also referrable to it, thereby making this one of the best-known stem saurians. The skull has a short rostrum, open low

SUBMITTER: Mooney ED 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11865139 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature