Robertia
Sign in to saveRobertia is an extinct genus of small herbivorous dicynodonts from the Middle to Late Permian of South Africa, between 260 and 265 million years ago. It is a monospecific genus, consisting of the type-species R. broomiana, which was classified by Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra in 1948 and named in honor of Robert Broom for his study of South African mammal-like reptiles.
Article
10 sectionsContents
- History and discovery
- Geology and paleoenvironment
- Description
- Skull
- Postcranial skeleton
- Paleobiology
- Feeding system
- Locomotion
- Metabolism and thermoregulation
- References
Robertia is an extinct genus of small herbivorous dicynodonts from the Middle to Late Permian of South Africa, between 260 and 265 million years ago. It is a monospecific genus, consisting of the type-species R. broomiana, which was classified by Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra in 1948 and named in honor of Robert Broom for his study of South African mammal-like reptiles.
Robertia had characteristic caniniform tusks and few, small teeth on the maxillary and dentary table. Its beak and the propalinal movement of the jaw, as with other dicynodonts, allowed for efficient cutting of plant matter. The solid, barrel-bodied creatures had a sprawling stance with a flexible backbone, which likely gave them a lizard-like appearance as they moved. They were about 15 cm in length.