[3] 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.
Gorgonopsinae is diagnosed by a thin zygomatic arch, a ventrally extended edge of posterior cranial roof, an often present preparietal and a post temporal fossa oriented horizontally.
[2] Because of the research and analysis of Battail & Surkov, a phylogeny which includes Scylacops as sister Sauroctonus to can be inferred.
Nochnitsa Viatkogorgon Suchogorgon Sauroctonus Pravoslavlevia Inostrancevia Eriphostoma Gorgonops Cynariops Lycaenops Smilesaurus Arctops Arctognathus Aelurognathus Ruhuhucerberus Sycosaurus Leontosaurus Dinogorgon Clelandina Rubidgea Because of Scylacops’ relationships in the Therapsid clade.
Early–Middle Triassic non-mammalian cynodonts Cynognathus and Early Jurassic Tritylodon exhibit rapid, sustained growth and are placed closer to crown Mammalia.
The interparietal articulates inferiorly with the exoccipital and the opisthotic with the tabular forming the outer portion of the occiput.
As part of the articulation with the quadrate is a long process lying against the squamosal externally and the opisthotic internally.
[7] Battail & Surkov describe Scylacops as the closest overall morphological relative to the Russian gorgonopsine Sauroctonus progressus.
[8] The Cistecephalus zone is regarding the biostratigraphy of a genus of burrowing dicynodont from the late Permian of South Africa.
[11] The strata assigned to the zone is made from gray-green, bluish-green, purple and reddish mudstone with lenticular sandstone and siltstone beds.
The Uitsspansfontein locality in Beaufort west is characterized by a low relief and small exposures covering strata immediately below the Cistecephalus band.
They both consist of the same identical gray-green and bluish-green and purple mudstone and shale sediments, interbedded with lenticular sandstone and siltstones.
Kitching proposes that the varied color of mudstones and lenticular sandstones are not reliable markers of separation as they do not follow a consistent stratigraphical plane but are sporadic across the Beaufort series.
[12] The only location outside of South Africa where Scylacops has been found is the Madumabisa Mudstone formation in the Drysdall and Kitching locality 3–4, Upper Luangwa Valley, Zambia.