anomodonts

Anomodonts are a diverse clade of therapsids, the group often described as mammal-like reptiles, that lived from the Middle Permian into the Early Triassic. They are recognized mainly for their herbivorous tendencies and for a distinctive skull and jaw architecture. The best-known lineage within this group is the dicynodonts, which display a beak at the front of the jaw and, in many species, pair of large tusk-like canines. Many dicynodonts lack teeth as adults, relying on the beak to crop vegetation.

Anomodonts show a range of skull and dentition configurations. Primitive forms possessed more traditional teeth, while later dicynodonts exhibit extreme tooth reduction and beaks that facilitated efficient processing of plant matter. Their postcranial skeletons tend to be robust, with many species adapted to quadrupedal, ground‑dwelling life. Overall, anomodonts occupied broad ecological niches as primary herbivores in Permian ecosystems.

Fossil evidence indicates that anomodonts were globally distributed, with abundant remains in Permian deposits of Gondwanan continents and across other landmasses. They were among the dominant herbivores of their time, contributing significantly to the terrestrial food webs and environmental dynamics of the late Paleozoic forests and floodplains.

Evolution and extinction: Anomodonts originated early within therapsids and diversified into several lineages, most prominently dicynodonts, before suffering a decline at the end of the Permian. Some dicynodonts persisted into the Early Triassic, but the group did not regain its former Permian diversity, and its rise and fall track major paleoenvironmental shifts associated with the Permian–Triassic extinction event.