[1] P. sneeubergensis is known by its knobby skull,[1] which is a shared synapomorphy with B. mirabilis[2] and P. viatkensis[3] They are synapsids, from which, their clade of therapsids is derived from.

[4] Descending from one of the first therapsids, biarmosuchus, Paraburnetia evolved prominent canine teeth, a long zygomatic process that extends under the orbit, and shorter phalanges with fewer joints that the lizard-like pelycosaurs.

[4] Paraburnetia was first discovered by a team from the South African Museum working in the southern Karoo Basin during July 2000.

Burnetiamorpha currently encompasses six genera: Bullacephalus, Burnetia, Lemurosaurus, Lobalopex, Niuksenitia, and Proburnetia[7][8] Paraburnetia is diagnosed by the characteristics of a superior temporal bulbous vertical horn, an upper orbital boss with a defined apical crest, and an elongated palatine-pterygoid boss.

[1] Paraburnetia and Proburnetia share features indicating a sister-taxon relationship, including the presence of a well-developed median nasal crest and tall superior orbital bosses [1] Distinctive characteristics that characterize it as a Burnetiamorph are its: "triangular supraorbital bosses; ridgelike nasal and frontal crests; bosses on the suborbital bar; swollen knob on the squamosal lateral to the quadrate; small incisors; and thickened rim along the posterior margin of the squamosal".

[1] This is different from the situation reported by for Proburnetia, sister taxa to Paraburnetia,[10] where the maxilla was not considered to extend as far posteriorly.

[1] Whereas Bullacephalus and Burnetia show the derived variation in which the supraorbital boss comprises two separate swellings and a valley between.

[7] Paraburnetia lack the prominent anterior dorsal orbital depression in the fossa as seen in Bullacephalus, Burnetia, and Proburnetia.

[1] The most notable and distinct characteristic of the palate is that the elongated palatine part of the palatinepterygoidis relative to Proburnetia.

[13] The Beaufort Group has become famous for Permian and Triassic fossils found and has since been subdivided into sub-zones based on biostratigraphy.

[1] Despite burnetiid species occurrences being rare and discovered from different zones, the family was species-rich, with one specimen per genus, suggesting that they had high rates of speciation and extinction.

[1] Biarmosuchia consists of a paraphyletic series of basal biarmosuchians that are fairly typical early therapsids, and the derived clade Burnetiamorpha, characterized by skulls ornamented by horns and bosses.

[1] The close morphological similarity between Paraburnetia and Proburnetia indicates that there was faunal interaction between their zones in early Wuchiapingian.

[16] Additionally, an analysis of the phylogenetic relationships showed that Burnetia, Bullacephalus, Niuksenitia, Paraburnetia, and Proburnetia are within clade Burnetiidae.

[1] Biarmosuchus Hipposaurus Ictidorhinus Herpetoskylax Lycaenodon Lemurosaurus[17] Bullacephalus Pachydectes Lobalopex Lophorhinus Niuksenitia Burnetia Proburnetia Paraburnetia Leucocephalus Lende Due to retrieving only the skull of the paraburnetia specimen and the other Burnetiidae, there is little information on their entire body morphology.

[9] The new finding of sister taxa Lende chiweta indicates that Africa may have been a migration corridor between the southern and northern parts of Pangea during the late Permian.