Varanosaurus ('monitor lizard') is an extinct genus of early ophiacodontid synapsid that lived during the Artinskian and Kungurian ages of the Permian.

Description

As its name implies, Varanosaurus may have looked superficially similar to present-day monitor lizards, though not related at all. 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):