Lystrosaurus
genus of therapsids (fossil)
Lystrosaurus (; 'shovel lizard'; from Ancient Greek λίστρον lístron 'tool for leveling or smoothing, shovel, spade, hoe') is an extinct genus of herbivorous dicynodont therapsids from the late Permian and Early Triassic epochs (around 248 million years ago). It had a widespread distribution across Pangaea, with fossils having been found in what is now Antarctica, India, China, Mongolia, European Russia, South Africa, and possibly Australia and Mozambique. Four to six species are currently recognized, but from the 1930s to 1970s the number of species was thought to be much higher.
As a dicynodont, Lystrosaurus had only two teeth (a pair of tusk-like canines), and is thought to have had a horny beak that was used for biting off pieces of vegetation. It was a heavily built, herbivorous animal. The structure of its shoulders and hip joints suggests that it moved with a semi-sprawling gait. Its forelimbs were even more robust than its hindlimbs, and it is thought to have been a powerful digger that nested in burrows.
Lystrosaurus survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event (Earth's most severe) 252 million years ago and thrived in the immediate aftermath; its fossils are, by far, the most common terrestrial vertebrate fossils in Early Triassic beds around the world, such as in the Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone in South Africa. Researchers have offered various hypotheses for why it survived the extinction event and thrived in the early Triassic.
History of discovery
Dr.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Lystrosaurus” is genus of therapsids (fossil). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lystrosaurus, genus and therapsids, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “genus of therapsids (fossil)” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q131680. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lystrosaurus”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lystrosaurus primary sources, Lystrosaurus archive and Lystrosaurus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lystrosaurus”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lystrosaurus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.