Dimetrodon

Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon, Cope, 1878

number on the map: 19

Clade: Synapsida

Dimetrodon is not a dinosaur! It is counted among synapsids, formerly called mammal-like reptiles. Recent research shows that Dimetrodon was more closely related to mammals than to reptiles. Its name directly refers to the varied dentition: the anterior teeth were sharper and larger than the posterior teeth. This facilitated splitting food into smaller portions, more easily digestible. Dimetrodon lived in the early and middle Permian, even before the Mesozoic Era, which was called the Age of Reptiles. Most of the fossils were discovered in the present-day USA, although some Dimetrodon remains were also found in Germany.

body length: 40–45 m
body mass: ca. 150 kg
temporal range: 280–256 mya