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Cotylorhynchus romeri

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description Cotylorhynchus romeri Overview

Cotylorhynchus romeri is a large herbivorous synapsid from the Early to Middle Permian of Oklahoma and Texas, described by paleontologist Everett C. Olson in 1955. As the largest known member of Caseidae, it reached approximately 6 meters in length and weighed an estimated 2 tons, with a disproportionately small skull only about 30 centimeters long. Its massive barrel-shaped body featured elongated ribs supporting a large digestive tract necessary for processing fibrous plant material.

The species was named in honor of renowned vertebrate paleontologist Alfred Sherwood Romer, who made significant contributions to the understanding of Permian tetrapods.

help Cotylorhynchus romeri FAQ

What was Cotylorhynchus romeri?

Cotylorhynchus romeri was a very large herbivorous synapsid from the Early to Middle Permian of Oklahoma and Texas. It belonged to the caseid group and could reach approximately 6 meters in length.

How much did Cotylorhynchus romeri weigh?

Estimates place its mass at roughly 2 tons. Its enormous barrel-shaped body and relatively small head made it one of the most unusual large herbivores of the Permian.

Was Cotylorhynchus romeri a dinosaur?

No. It was a synapsid, part of the broader evolutionary branch that eventually includes mammals, and it lived tens of millions of years before the first dinosaurs. Its caseid anatomy reflects a Permian herbivore rather than a dinosaurian body plan.

What did Cotylorhynchus romeri eat?

It was a herbivore with a huge body adapted to processing large amounts of plant material. Its small head compared with its torso suggests that digestion and a large gut were more important to its feeding strategy than capturing prey.

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