Cynodonti

Cynodontia!!!


 * Their name means "dog teeth"!!!!
 * They were the most succesful and one of the most diverse groups of therapsids!
 * They have diverged into large predaceous carnivores such as Cynognathus!!
 * They are one of the few species to have survive the Pemian-Triassic extinction event and had a slow recovery after the extinction!
 * They are one of the few species to have survive the Pemian-Triassic extinction event and had a slow recovery after the extinction!
 * It is very likely that Cynodonts were at least partially warm-blooded if not completely and covered with hair which would have insulated them and helped to maintain a high body temp.!!
 * During their evolution, their teeth changed from being designed for catching and holding prey and then swallowing whole, to adding specialized teeth, including molars, designed for better chewing of food allowing for quicker digestion!!
 * Several of the bones that were jaw bones in reptiles evolved in this creatureto perform an entirely new function, becoming parts of the mammal's middle ear!!!
 * Improved earing gave these creatures a better awareness of their environment, and in turn, this increasing sensitivity called for a greater capacity for processing auditoy info in their brain!
 * They also developed a sencondary plate in the roof of the mouth and this caused air flow to travel to a position in the back of the mouth instead of directly through it, allowing them to chew and breath at the same time!!! This characteristic is present in all mammals!

These are different types of Cynodonts!!!