Epicynodontia is a clade of cynodont therapsids that includes most cynodonts, such as galesaurids, thrinaxodontids, and Eucynodontia (including mammals). It was erected as a stem-based taxon by Hopson and Kitching (2001) and defined as the most inclusive clade containing Mammalia and excluding Procynosuchus, a Late Permian genus that is one of the most basal cynodonts.

Below is a cladogram from Pusch et al. (2023) showing one hypothesis of cynodont relationships:

CynodontiaCharassognathidae Dvinia prima Procynosuchus delaharpeae Epicynodontia Nythosaurus larvatus Galesaurus planiceps Progalesaurus lootsbergensis Cynosaurus suppostus Vetusodon elikhulu Thrinaxodon liorhinus Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Charassognathidae
Dvinia prima Procynosuchus delaharpeae Epicynodontia Nythosaurus larvatus Galesaurus planiceps Progalesaurus lootsbergensis Cynosaurus suppostus Vetusodon elikhulu Thrinaxodon liorhinus Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Dvinia prima
Procynosuchus delaharpeae Epicynodontia Nythosaurus larvatus Galesaurus planiceps Progalesaurus lootsbergensis Cynosaurus suppostus Vetusodon elikhulu Thrinaxodon liorhinus Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Procynosuchus delaharpeae
EpicynodontiaNythosaurus larvatus Galesaurus planiceps Progalesaurus lootsbergensis Cynosaurus suppostus Vetusodon elikhulu Thrinaxodon liorhinus Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Nythosaurus larvatus
Galesaurus planiceps Progalesaurus lootsbergensis Cynosaurus suppostus Vetusodon elikhulu Thrinaxodon liorhinus Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Galesaurus planiceps Progalesaurus lootsbergensis
Galesaurus planiceps
Progalesaurus lootsbergensis
Cynosaurus suppostus Vetusodon elikhulu Thrinaxodon liorhinus Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Cynosaurus suppostus Vetusodon elikhulu
Cynosaurus suppostus
Vetusodon elikhulu
Thrinaxodon liorhinus Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Thrinaxodon liorhinus
Nanictosaurus kitchingi Platycraniellus elegans
Nanictosaurus kitchingi
Platycraniellus elegans
Bolotridon frerensis Eucynodontia
Bolotridon frerensis
Eucynodontia