page_title: Scylacops
section_title: Histology
hierarchical_section_title: Scylacops / Histology
caption_attribution_description: Aelurognathus tigriceps
context_page_description: Scylacops is an extinct genus of Gorgonopsia. It was first named by Broom in 1913, and contains two species, S. bigendens, and S. capensis. Its fossils have been found in South Africa and Zambia. It is believed to be closely related to the Gorgonopsian Sauroctonus progressus. Scylacops was a moderately sized Gorgonopsid.
  Scylacops is an carnivorous therapsid, existing from 259.0 to 254.0 Ma. S. bigendens was first described by Brink and James Kitching in 1953, although its original description was Sycocephalus bigendens.
  According to the paleobiology database Scylacops specimens have been found in the following locations in South Africa; Uitsspansfontein at Beaufort West, Dunedin, Wellwood, and Sondagsriviershoek. Scylacops is also known from Zambia.
context_section_description: Therapsids have quick osteogenesis in the cortical fibrolamellar bone tissue. Analysis of Scylacops sp. specimen SAM-PK-10188 from Dunedin shows a cyclical and zonal growth pattern. This cyclical growth is a strong effect of Scylacops’ environment. Scylacops’ cortical fibrolamellar bone tissue shows a phylogenic relationship between Scylacops and the gorgonopsid from the Rubidgeinae sub-family Aelurognathus. However, there is a clear distinction between the two. Scylacops was distinctly cyclical with intermediate growth, where periods of fast growth were interrupted by periods of slow growth or halting of growth. Aelurognathus sustained fast growth early in ontogeny only to be interrupted at a later stage of growth .
  SAM-PK-10188’s histology shows wide zones separated by annuli and LAGs. These wide zones are composed of a woven-fibered bone matrix with mainly longitudinally oriented channels and osteonal deposits forming primary osteons and fibrolamellar bone tissue. The outer cortical periphery is irregular with few channels opening subperiosteally. The longitudinally oriented channels in this region show few osteonal deposits and are larger than well-developed primary osteons. Organization of primary osteons varies depending on the element and even locally within the same section. The medullary cavity in all the elements are lined by endosteally lamellated bone the extent of which varies depending on the position and type of element. Secondary reconstruction is prevalent in the inner cortex resulting in enlarged resorption cavities .
caption: Aelurognathus tigriceps
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