Clelandina

Clelandina; Temporal range: Late Permian 259–254 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Holotype skull of C. rubidgei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Therapsida
Family:	†Gorgonopsidae
Tribe:	†Rubidgeini
Genus:	†Clelandina; Broom, 1948
Type species
	Clelandina rubidgei; Broom, 1948
Synonyms
	Genus-level Tigrisaurus; Broom & George, 1950; Dragocephalus; Brink & Kitching, 1953; Species-level Clelandina major Broom, 1940; Tigrisaurus pricei Broom & George, 1950; Dracocephalus scheepersi Brink & Kitching, 1953; Dinogorgon (Dracocephalus) scheepersi Watson & Romer, 1956; Clelandina scheepersi Sigogneau, 1970; Dinogorgon pricei Sigogneau, 1970; Rubidgea pricei Gebauer, 2007;

Clelandina is an extinct genus of rubidgeine gorgonopsian from the Late Permian of Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone of South Africa. It was first named by Broom in 1948. The type and only species is C. rubidgei. It is relatively rare, with only four known specimens.[1][2]

Restoration of C. rubidgei

Referred skull, the holotype of Tigrisaurus pricei

Description

Clelandina rubidgei has an extraordinarily small sclerotic ring relative to the size of its orbit, which implies that it was diurnal. It is the only rubidgeine with a preserved sclerotic ring, so it is unknown whether this trait was shared by other members of the subfamily. Like all rubidgeines, it was relatively large, with a skull up to 36 cm long. It had reduced dentition, with the teeth posterior to the canines being absent and replaced with a bony ridge. The skull has heavily pachyostosed, with massive rugose bosses.[1]

Classification

Clelandina shares many characteristics with Rubidgea and Dinogorgon, which has led some authors to synonymize them. All three are now considered to be part of the same tribe, Rubidgeini, rather than the same genus.

Below is a cladogram by Kammerer et al. in 2016.[1]

Rubidgeinae

Smilesaurus ferox

Aelurognathus tigriceps

Ruhuhucerberus haughtoni