Dimetrodon limbatus

An apex predator from the Cisuralian epoch of the Early Permian era (295 to 272 million years ago). Dimetrodon was first discovered in the Texas Red Beds in the 1870s, and was described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877. Cope originally had named the species Clepsydrops limbatus, and a year later would describe more remains in publication using the name Dimetrodon, it wasn't until 1940 that other paleontologists would correctly identify C. limbatus as Dimetrodon, making Cope's 1877 discovery the type species for the genus as it was described before other members of the group. Dimetrodon was part of a group known as known as mammal-like reptiles or stem-mammals. While they share many traits with modern reptiles and modern mammals they are neither, but are part of the overall group called Synapsids that includes all modern mammals (even humans like you). While it is often associated with dinosaurs in popular media these sail-backed quadripeds are much older than that group and are most closely related to us than they are to dinosaurs. Dimetrodon main defining traits include a very distinctive sail supported by extensive neural spins, as well as a set of differentiating teeth that were clearly evolved to different uses, something we and most modern mammals share. It's name, in fact comes from it's teeth, meaning "two measures of teeth." Dimetrodon limbatus was not big for today's standards (at roughly 11 feet in length), but it's size was more than formidable for the Permian. It most likely fed on small aquatic amphibians, reptiles, fish, and other smaller Synapsids.

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