Extinct clade of therapsids
The Tapinocephalia are one of the major groups of dinocephalian therapsids and the major herbivorous group. Tapinocephalia has been found to consist of three clades: Styracocephalidae , Titanosuchidae , and the very successful Tapinocephalidae . Notable tapinocephalians include Moschops , Tapinocephalus , and Titanosuchus .
Description
Unlike anteosaurs and estemmenosuchids , tapinocephalians are primarily an African group. The estemmenosuchids and pareiasaurs may have occupied this paleo-bovine niche in the north. Only one tapinocephalian, Ulemosaurus , is known from Russia . Earlier tapinocephalians were carnivorous or omnivorous . One such group was Titanosuchidae , which consisted of long-tailed predators that hunted herbivorous therapsids . Later tapinocephalians were herbivorous.
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