Was Dimetrodon a dinosaur?

No. Dimetrodon was a synapsid, not a dinosaur or even a reptile in the modern sense. It is actually more closely related to you than to any dinosaur.

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Early Permian Period

298-273 million years ago

The Early Permian was dominated by large amphibians and early synapsids, the group that would eventually evolve into mammals. Pangaea was fully assembled, and the climate ranged from glacial near the poles to hot and arid in the interior. Dinosaurs were still over 50 million years in the future.

Fun Facts

✓Dimetrodon, with its dramatic sail fin, lived in the Early Permian and was the apex predator of its time.
✓Large amphibians were still common in the Early Permian, particularly near water.
✓The Early Permian had significant glaciation near the poles, unlike the hot Mesozoic era to come.

Questions About the Early Permian

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