DIMETRODON

Two measures of teeth

Dimetrodon was a pelycosaur, one of a number of animals known as synapsids that dominated the Early Permian period. It was a large meat-eater with a very interesting bodily feature: a large sail on its back. Although often mistaken for a dinosaur, it died out long before dinosaurs evolved and is more closely related to modern mammals.

The sail of Dimetrodon is believed to have served as a kind of solar panel, letting it warm up in the morning and cool off more efficiently during the heat of the day. This heightened temperature control would have enabled it to enhance its stamina and catch slower synapsids. But this is theory is very controversial, and the sail may just have been for visual display only.

Length : 3.5 meters (11 ft)