Dimetrodon limbatus, extinct species of synapse reptile, belonging to the group known as pelycosaurs. They lived during the Permian period, approximately 295 to 272 million years ago. Despite often being mistaken for a dinosaur, Dimetrodon was not a dinosaur, but rather a distant relative that lived long before dinosaurs appeared.
One of the most distinctive features of Dimetrodon limbatus is its dorsal sail, which was made up of tall structures of bone and skin on its upper back. This sail was believed to have multiple functions, such as regulating body temperature, visual display for courtship and intimidation, or even as a mechanism to absorb heat from the sun. The sail was connected to the vertebrae and was covered in a layer of skin and muscle.
Dimetrodon limbatus was a carnivorous predator that fed on other small animals and reptiles, including early amphibians. It had a large, powerful head, with sharp, curved teeth, ideal for tearing into the flesh of its prey. Their size varied, but some individuals could reach lengths of up to 3 meters.
Despite its menacing appearance, the Dimetrodon was not a high-speed predator, but its size and strength allowed it to take on a variety of prey. In addition to its distinctive sail, it had short, stocky limbs with sharp claws that helped it grasp prey and move around its environment.
Dimetrodon limbatus lived in a geological period when the continents were joined in the supercontinent Pangea and the climate was significantly warmer than it is today.
Scene represented by two Dimetrodons fighting over a Diplocaulus.
Approximate Measurements of the Base:
One of the most distinctive features of Dimetrodon limbatus is its dorsal sail, which was made up of tall structures of bone and skin on its upper back. This sail was believed to have multiple functions, such as regulating body temperature, visual display for courtship and intimidation, or even as a mechanism to absorb heat from the sun. The sail was connected to the vertebrae and was covered in a layer of skin and muscle.
Dimetrodon limbatus was a carnivorous predator that fed on other small animals and reptiles, including early amphibians. It had a large, powerful head, with sharp, curved teeth, ideal for tearing into the flesh of its prey. Their size varied, but some individuals could reach lengths of up to 3 meters.
Despite its menacing appearance, the Dimetrodon was not a high-speed predator, but its size and strength allowed it to take on a variety of prey. In addition to its distinctive sail, it had short, stocky limbs with sharp claws that helped it grasp prey and move around its environment.
Dimetrodon limbatus lived in a geological period when the continents were joined in the supercontinent Pangea and the climate was significantly warmer than it is today.
Scene represented by two Dimetrodons fighting over a Diplocaulus.
Approximate Measurements of the Base:
- Scale 1:35 - 125mm
