Dimetrodon grandis
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First things first - this is not a dinosaur. Dimetrodon is an extinct relative of mammals, immediately identified by the large sail on its back. The sail is formed from skin connecting extremely elongate neural spines (except the very tips). The use of this sail is the center of much discussion. Proposed hypotheses range from thermoregulation to display to camouflage. Display and thermoregulation are probably the most likely. Dimetrodon gets its name ("two measures of teeth") from the different types of teeth in its mouth - large incisors, one or two pairs of caniniform teeth behind the notch, and smaller "molars" behind those. D. grandis has serrations on its teeth, making them sharper than more primitive Dimetrodon species. Dimetrodon's skull is deep and narrow, with a notch near the tip of the snout and a corresponding expansion of the lower jaw. Its body is low-slung, and its legs are short and semi-sprawled. Its belly is covered with reptile-like scales. Dimetrodon was the apex predator of the swamps it lived in, and probably ate mostly aquatic animals. Dimetrodon grandis can be found in Synapsid Alley. Its smaller relative D. teutonis is an ambassador animal. |
Scientific name Location Time Length Diet |