A New Basal Lystrosaurid Dicynodont from the Upper Permian of South Africa

A new genus and species of late Permian dicynodont, Kwazulusaurus shakai , is described on the basis of a complete skull from the late Permian Dicynodon Assemblage Zone of the South African Beaufort Group. It is an advanced form which shows characters, such as the shape of the snout and the loss of the ectopterygoid, that link it to the early Triassic genus Lystrosaurus. Kwazulusaurus represents the most basal member of the lystrosaurian lineage. The phylogeny of progressive pristerodontian dicynodonts is discussed. It appears possible that the Kannemeyeriiformes and Lystrosauridae do not form a monophylum, as previously assumed. Instead a sister-group relationship between lystrosaurids and dicynodontids plus kannemeyeriiforms is suggested.