They were among the largest gorgonopsians, and their fossils are common in the Cistecephalus and Daptocephalus assemblage zones of the Karoo Basin.

Their largest teeth are their upper canines, which were blade-like and had well-developed serrations.

The jugal bone, while narrow in most gorgonopsians, was often broadly expanded in rubidgeines.

The robust skull roof and supraorbital bosses of rubidgeines likely acted to protect the skull from the stress inflicted during prey capture, and similar morphology has been seen in many other macropredators in the fossil record, including theropod dinosaurs.

[1] Smilesaurus ferox Aelurognathus tigriceps Ruhuhucerberus haughtoni Sycosaurus laticeps Sycosaurus nowaki Leontosaurus vanderhosti Dinogorgon rubidgei Rubidgea atrox Clelandina rubidgei