Lystrosaurus

Lystrosaurus is a genus of dicynodont therapsids that lived from the Late Permian to the Early Triassic, about 260 to 247 million years ago. It is characterized by a short, broad skull with a beak-like mouth and prominent tusk-like canine teeth, while lacking the postcanine teeth seen in many other therapsids. The body was compact and sturdy, with short limbs and a robust frame, adaptations often interpreted as conducive to digging.

The forelimbs and claws appear well suited for burrowing, and many researchers view Lystrosaurus as a fossorial or semi-fossorial animal. This lifestyle, combined with its herbivorous diet cropped from low-growing vegetation, would have helped it cope with the harsh conditions around the Permian–Triassic boundary.

Paleobiogeography shows a remarkably wide distribution for Lystrosaurus across the supercontinent Pangea. Fossils have been found in southern Africa (notably the Karoo Basin), as well as in India and Antarctica, with additional material reported from other regions. The genus survived the Permian–Triassic extinction event and became one of the dominant terrestrial vertebrates in the Early Triassic, contributing to the rapid recovery of ecosystems after the crisis. Its abundance and distribution make Lystrosaurus an important marker in Permian–Triassic stratigraphy and continental biogeography.

Fossil material includes skulls, jaws, limb bones, and vertebrae, which have provided key insights into its anatomy and potential behavior. Lystrosaurus remains a foundational example of how some land vertebrates persisted and diversified in the wake of one of Earth’s most severe mass extinctions.