Dimetrodon

Often considered a dinosaur, Dimetrodon was actually one of the pelycosaurs and predated the earliest dinosaurs by tens of millions of years. Its popularity comes from the massive sail that is carried erect on its back, the exact purpose of which is still unknown, but it has been speculated to being for display purposes either to attract mates or intimidate rivals. Another theory is that it was used for temperature regulation. cold blooded animals are always sluggish until they can raise their body temperatures. If Dimetrodon flushed blood into its sail to raise its temperature, it would have had a significant advantage over its prey items that would have still been too slow and sluggish to escape. It is of course entirely plausible that both theories are correct.       Dimetrodon had a very successful predator design and its broad expanse in the timeline of the fossil record and geographical distribution of remains are proof of this. Aside from the potential advantage of controlled thermoregulation, Dimetrodon had two different kinds of teeth, hence the reason for its name. These teeth consisted of teeth designed for grabbing its prey, and teeth designed for shearing flesh. The teeth also featured very fine serration that were initially thought to be cracks. Aside from more efficient kills, these teeth would have enabled Dimetrodon to make short work eating its prey items. Earlier examples of Dimetrodon appear smaller than the later fossils.
Category:Extinct Animals
Category:Reptiles
Category:Oklahoma Animals
Category:Permian Animals