Lystrosaurus murrayi

Lystrosaurus is a synapsid, a distant cousin of present-day mammals. It is also a dicynodont, a term that means “two dog teeth”.

Lystrosaurus is one of the rare synapsid genera to have survived the Permian-Trias crisis, the second and most severe of the biotic crises. Immediately after this mass extinction, they were the most numerous vertebrates on Earth. They appear to have been semi-aquatic but the anatomy of their limbs suggests that they could dig holes in the ground.

Lystrosaurus only had two teeth, in the form of canines, but also had a horny beak like tortoises. It fed on plants, most likely hard vegetable matter.

The remains of these animals are found in Antarctica, South Africa, Mongolia, Russia and China indicating that these continents were once linked. This was a major piece of evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics. 

This specimen was the first Lystrosaurus skeleton to be reconstructed and exhibited in Europe.