Cynognathus fossil map
Where fossils of Cynognathus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 252 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 252 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Pre-mammals (synapsids) |
|---|---|
| Lived | 247–233.6 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Named by | Seeley 1895 |
| Fossil records | 19 occurrences at 14 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa, Namibia, Argentina, Antarctica, Zambia, Tanzania |
| Rock formations | Burgersdorp, Omingonde, Rio Seco de la Quebrada, Fremouw, Ntawere, Manda Beds |
About Cynognathus
Cynognathus is an extinct genus of large-bodied cynodontian therapsids that lived in the Middle Triassic. It is known from a single species, Cynognathus crateronotus. Cynognathus was a predator closely related to mammals and had a southern hemispheric distribution. Fossils have so far been recovered from South Africa, Argentina, Antarctica, and Namibia.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cynognathus (revision 1372215417), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
