Genus-level Species-level Aelurognathus is an extinct genus of gorgonopsian therapsids from the Permian of South Africa and Zambia.
[1] A broken tooth beside the skeleton of a dicynodont from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone has been attributed to Aelurognathus, indicating that it scavenged.
The bones of the back of the skeleton are the most scattered, suggesting that the Aelurognathus individuals fed on the rear of the carcass, removing the hind limbs to reach the soft underside.
The small incisor teeth of Aelurognathus indicate that it was not able to crush bone but more likely stripped flesh from its prey like the modern-day wild dog Lycaon pictus.
[3] Below is a cladogram from the phylogenetic analysis of Gebauer (2007):[4] Aloposaurus Cyonosaurus Aelurosaurus Scylacognathus Eoarctops Gorgonops Njalila Lycaenops Arctognathus Inostrancevia Aelurognathus Rubidgea Sycosaurus Clelandina