FOSSILS SPECIMEN: EARLY SYNAPSIDS

Fossils are defined as any evidence of prehistoric life. There are two types of fossils: Body Fossils include remains of skeletal bones, shell, carapace, test and teeth. Trace Fossils are clues the organism existed such as foot prints, tracks, burrows and coprolites (fossil dung).

Sphenacodontia is a stem-based clade of derived synapsids. Basal Sphenacodontia constitute a transitional evolutionary series from early pelycosaurus to ancestral therapsids, which in turn were the ancestors of more advanced forms and finally the mammals. To see my model/toy “Pelycosaurs” click here.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Clade: Synapsida – Informal Group: “Pelycosauria” – Family: Sphenacodontidae

(Genus: Dimetrodon)

Early Permian

Dimetrodon Vertebrae

Lower Permian

Seymour, Texas, United States

Dimetrodon Rib Head

Lower Permian

Seymour, Texas, United States

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Clade: Synapsida “Pelycosauria” – Family: Sphenacodontidae

(Genus: Edaphosaurus)

Early Permian