Metoposauridae

Metoposauridae is a family of extinct synapsids, a group of mammals-like reptiles, that lived during the Permian period, approximately 299 to 273 million years ago. They are known from fossils found in South Africa, Russia, and China. Metoposaurids are characterized by their distinctive skull structure, which includes a large, flat snout and a pair of large, forward-facing eyes. This unique skull morphology is thought to have been an adaptation for burrowing or digging, as many metoposaurids are believed to have been fossorial.

The family Metoposauridae is divided into two subfamilies: Metoposaurinae and Paradoxosaurinae. Metoposaurinae includes the type genus Metoposaurus, which is known from several species with varying skull sizes and shapes. Paradoxosaurinae, on the other hand, includes the genus Paradoxosaurus, which is known from a single species with a particularly elongated and narrow skull.

Metoposaurids are thought to have been small to medium-sized animals, with body lengths ranging from about 30 to 100 centimeters. They are believed to have been insectivorous, feeding on a diet of insects and other small invertebrates. Their small size and fossorial adaptations suggest that they may have inhabited burrows or other underground habitats.

Despite their distinctive skull morphology, the evolutionary relationships of metoposaurids are still not fully understood. They are generally considered to be basal synapsids, closely related to the ancestors of mammals, but their exact position within the synapsid tree of life remains a topic of ongoing research.