Moschops fossil map
Where fossils of Moschops 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 | 264.28–254.14 million years ago (Capitanian to Wuchiapingian) |
| Periods | Permian |
| Family | Tapinocephalidae |
| Named by | Broom 1911 |
| Fossil records | 8 occurrences at 7 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa |
| Rock formations | txn:38978, Abrahamskraal |
About Moschops
Moschops (Greek for "calf face") is an extinct genus of dinocephalian therapsids that lived in what is now South Africa during the Capitanian stage of the Middle Permian around 264.4–260 million years ago. Fossils have been found in the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Abrahamskraal Formation. Like other members of Tapinocephalidae, they were heavily built herbivores reaching a body mass of at least 400 kilograms (880 lb), and it has been debated whether or not they were semi-aquatic, like hippopotamuses. They had short, thick heads and are widely thought to have engaged in head-butting contests against rival individuals of the same species.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Moschops (revision 1380636092), 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.
