Dimetrodon, A Unique Reptile

Dimetrodon was an extraordinary Pelycosaur from the Permian Period. The reptile ranged in size from a small lizard to a large rhino, with 3 meters being the longest skeleton found. This fierce predator was one of the first land reptiles to prey on other land animals its own size.

Dimetrodon, often mistaken for a dinosaur, is most remembered for the large sail on its back. It was originally theorized that the sail was used to help Dimetrodon swim, much like the sail on a sail boat helps to move a boat through water. This theory was not taken seriously by many paleontologists, and it was not long before the widely excepted theory of temperature regulation came to the front.

Find out more about Dimetrodon's sail in the museum...