Varanosaurus ('monitor lizard') is an extinct genus of early pelycosaur synapsid that lived during the Kungurian.
Description[]
As its name implies, Varanosaurus may have looked superficially similar to present-day monitor lizards.[citation needed]
Varanosaurus had a flattened, elongated skull and a pointed snout with a row of sharp teeth, including two pairs of conspicuous pseudocanines, implying that it was an active predator.
Varanosaurus probably lived in swamps, competing with the larger Ophiacodon for food.
Classification[]
Below is a cladogram modified from the analysis of Benson (2012):
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Gallery[]
