PaleoBios

Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) 1352 is a partial maxillary toothplate of a basal reptilian from the Lower Permian of Baylor County, north-central Texas. The specimen displays the straight rows of teeth characteristic of the subfamily Moradisaurinae (family: Captorhinidae) and is nearly identical in shape to the maxilla of Labidosaurikos meachami. Larger, more mesial individual teeth conform to the dental pattern previously determined for adults of the genus. Adults of L. meachami are known to possess six maxillary tooth rows, whereas MCZ 1352 has only five. Although only a partial specimen, it appears MCZ 1352 is most likely a juvenile specimen of L. meachmi. If correct, the comparative sizes suggest isometric growth of this element. The orientation of the lingual-most row of teeth, and the five as opposed to six maxillary tooth rows, suggest either new tooth rows may move labially during development or bone growth and remodeling occur lingually, resulting in the development of a margin of maxillary bone between the fifth row and the lingual edge.