Eupelycosauria

Varanopidae (extinct)

Node. Eupelycosauria. Evolution[edit] Many non-therapsid eupelycosaurs were the dominant land animals from the latest Carboniferous to the end of the early Permian epoch.

Ophiacodontids were common since their appearance, from late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) to early Permian, but they became progressively smaller as early Permian went by. The edaphosaurids, along with the caseids, were the dominant herbivores in the early part of Permian, ranging from the size of a pig to the size of rhinoceroses. The most renowned edaphosaurid is Edaphosaurus, a large [10–12-foot-long (3.0–3.7 m)] herbivore which had a sail on its back, probably used for regulating heat and mating. Sphenacodontids, a family of carnivorous eupelycosaurs, included the famous Dimetrodon, which is sometimes mistaken for a dinosaur, and was the largest predator of the period.