The term “prehistoric reptiles” group is intended for a broad category of animals which helps distinguish the dinosaurs from other prehistoric reptiles. Most of the prehistoric reptiles are often confused with the dinosaurs, such as the plesiosaurs that lived in the water, the flying pterosaurs and other prehistoric land reptiles such as the famous Dimetrodon among others. The belief that most prehistoric reptiles are actually dinosaurs is wrong, even though dinosaurs are considered to be part of the reptile family, they have their own classification and they were all terrestrial animals. They had other very distinct characteristics that differentiate them from other prehistoric reptiles.
Primitive Reptiles
The most important event of the Permian period was the rise of "synapsid" reptiles (an anatomical term denoting the existence of one hole in the skull behind each eye). During the early Permian, these synapsids resembled crocodiles and even dinosaurs, as witness famous examples like Dimetrodon. By the end of the Permian, though, the synapsids had branched off into the therapsids, or "mammal-like reptiles"; at the same time, the very first archosaurs appeared, diapsid reptiles characterized by the two holes in their skulls behind each eye. A quarter of a billion years ago, no one would have guessed that these archosaurs were destined to evolve into the first dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era!
The most important event of the Permian period was the rise of "synapsid" reptiles (an anatomical term denoting the existence of one hole in the skull behind each eye). During the early Permian, these synapsids resembled crocodiles and even dinosaurs, as witness famous examples like Dimetrodon. By the end of the Permian, though, the synapsids had branched off into the therapsids, or "mammal-like reptiles"; at the same time, the very first archosaurs appeared, diapsid reptiles characterized by the two holes in their skulls behind each eye. A quarter of a billion years ago, no one would have guessed that these archosaurs were destined to evolve into the first dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era!
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Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon was one of the earliest relatives of mammals. The large "sail" on its back may have been used for temperature regulation, to attract mates, or to frighten off other animals. Dimetrodon is a member of a group called synapsids. Behind the eye socket in its skull is the synapsid opening. Its function is uncertain, but it may have been a passage for jaw muscles that helped Dimetrodon and other synapsids chew. |
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Cotylorhynchus
Cotylorhynchus was a very large synapsid that lived in the southern part of what is now North America during the Early Permian period. Cotylorhynchus was considerably larger and at six meters long, represents the largest known caseid. This large size was its best defence against the known predators of the time which were all much smaller than Cotylorhynchus. the massive bulk of Cotylorhynchus was not just for defence, it also housed the large digestive organs that were required for getting the maximum amounts of nutrients from the plants that it ate. The great size also allowed for broad shoulders and powerful muscles that it is thought allowed Cotylorhynchus to dig up additional parts like plant roots. |
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Moschops
Moschops is an extinct genus of therapsid that lived in the Guadalupian epoch, around 265–260 million years ago. Therapsids are synapsids, which were at one time the dominant land animals. Its remains were found in the Karoo region of South Africa. |
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Inostrancevia
Like all other gorgonopsids, Inostrancevia was a quadrupedal animal with an upright posture up to 4.3 metres (14 ft) long, the size of a bear. It is also known from its two huge sabre teeth, up to nearly 12 cm long and are one of the perfect tools to kill large prey. Its other teeth included 6 large incisors, and 10 smaller back teeth and the mandible that contained 14 incisors, in which 8 of them are smaller than the others. It was the top of the food chain of Russia during the end of the Permian period. It preyed on a large defended herbivore named Scutosaurus. |
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Postosuchus
Postosuchus was a large, 4-6 metre long Archosaur thecodont from the Late Triassic Period, with dagger-like teeth up to 7-8 cm long. It was the largest predator of the region of North America in which it is found afraid of nothing except another larger Postosuchus. It went extinct at the end of the Triassic, possibly because of competition from dinosaurs, its close Archosaurian cousins - though it should be noted that there was also a huge extinction event at the Triassic-Jurassic Period boundary, which killed off thousands of species of ancient reptiles and amphibians as well as others, so generally it could A female Postosuchus quenches her thirst in the Wet Season. What is certain, is that the crurotarsan archosaurs to which Postosuchus belongs, were formidable rivals to the Dinosauria, and their decline and later demise must have surely been to the benefit of the 'upstart' Dinosaurs. |
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Desmatosuchus
Large, herbivorous aetosaur, an order of extinct reptiles that competed with the early dinosaurs for dominance of the late triassic world. Once the Nazis resurrected it, they promptly outfitted it with a 20mm anti-aircraft gun into the 6-7 inch thick, keratinous armor that runs the length of its back. The Desmatosuchus operates the gun by means of a specialized bit and bridle. The gun is fired when the animal bites down. The heavy armament and armor makes the Desmatosuchus something like a walking tank. Explosives alone can take this animal down efficiently. |
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Lystrosaurus
The lystrosaurus itself was a rather mundane beast. Initially, it was a lumbering low slung dinosaur about the size of a pig. It walked with a "semi-sprawling gait," like an alligator. It had a beak, and big plates for teeth, and was herbivorous. It used its beak to nip off plants, which it ground between its plate teeth in a thoroughly pedestrian manner. |
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