Ophiacodon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ophiacodon
Fossil range: Late Carboniferous - Early Permian

Ophiacodon mirus

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Superclass:	Tetrapoda
Class:	Synapsida
Order:	Pelycosauria
(unranked)	Eupelycosauria
Family:	Ophiacodontidae
Genus:	Ophiacodon

Species

Ophiacodon grandis
Ophiacodon hilli
Ophiacodon major
Ophiacodon mirus
Ophiacodon navajovicus
Ophiacodon retroversus
Ophiacodon uniformis

Ophiacodon was a large synapsid pelycosaur. It was at least two meters in length. the largest species were 3.6 meters. Ophiacodon 's size increases as time progresses during the Early Permian epoch until its extinction at the end of the epoch. It was a specialized member of the ophiacodontid family lineage. Its fossils were found in Joggins, Nova Scotia, Canada. The skull was deep, with long jaws, and provided with sharp teeth. Ophiacodon may have eaten fishes in streams and ponds, although the high narrow skull would seem to mitigate against such a lifestyle. It's related to other ophiacodontids, such as Archaeothyris, and its relatives seem to be ancestral to all synapsids, including mammals.