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Dimetrodon (/ d aɪ ˈ m iː t r ə ˌ d ɒ n / ⓘ [1] or / d aɪ ˈ m ɛ t r ə ˌ d ɒ n /; [2] lit. ' two measures of teeth ') is an extinct genus of non-mammalian synapsid belonging to the family Sphenacodontidae that lived during the Cisuralian age of the Early Permian period, around 295–272 million years ago.
Dimetrodon was probably one of the top predators in Early Permian ecosystems, feeding on fish and tetrapods, including reptiles as well as amphibians. Smaller Dimetrodon species may have had different ecological roles. The sail of Dimetrodon may have been used to stabilize its spine or to heat and cool its body as a form of thermoregulation.
The teeth of Dimetrodon borealis are long, recurved, and distinctively teardrop-shaped, being widest at the middle rather than the base. The teardrop shape of the teeth is an indication that Dimetrodon borealis belongs to the family Sphenacodontidae.
With a length of around 2 m (6 ft 7 in) it was one of the biggest predators of Mallorca during the Early Pliocene. [277] The largest known blind snake is Boipeba tayasuensis with estimated total length of 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in). [278] The largest known land lizard is probably Megalania (Varanus priscus) at 7 m (23 ft) in length. [279]
Mounted skeleton of Dimetrodon limbatus. A neural spine sail is a large, flattish protrusion from the back of an animal formed of a sequence of extended vertebral spinous processes and associated tissues. Such structures are comparatively rare in modern animals, but have been identified in many extinct species of amphibians and amniotes ...
Size comparison of some species of Edaphosaurus.. Edaphosaurus species measured from 0.5 to 3.5 metres (1.6 to 11.5 ft) in length and weighed over 300 kg (660 lb). [5] In keeping with its tiny head, the cervical vertebrae are reduced in length, while the dorsal vertebrae are massive, the tail is deep, the limbs are short and robust, and the ribs form a wide ribcage.
A trio of three juvenile Diplocaulus in a burrow of eight (plus one juvenile Eryops) were found to have been partially eaten by the sail-backed synapsid Dimetrodon, which likely unearthed the amphibians during a drought. One of the three was killed with a bite to the head, taking part of its skull and portions of the brain, a fatal injury that ...
Abler examined another sort of prehistoric predator, Dimetrodon, and found that it also lacked adaptations for guarding against crack propagation. [9] Based on their teeth, most phytosaur genera are carnivorous, piscivorous, or a combination of the two. However, two taxa show slight adaptations towards hunting and consuming harder invertebrates ...