description Ophiacodon mirus Overview
Ophiacodon mirus is an early synapsid from the Early Permian of North America and a species of the genus Ophiacodon. It belonged to Ophiacodontidae, a group traditionally included among the informal assemblage called pelycosaurs, and had an elongated skull with numerous conical teeth. Ophiacodon was among the larger predators of its ecosystems, although older portrayals of it as strongly aquatic or semiaquatic remain debated.
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What is Ophiacodon mirus?
Ophiacodon mirus is a species of the early synapsid Ophiacodon, known from the Early Permian of North America, roughly 290 to 270 million years ago. It belonged to the family Ophiacodontidae and had a characteristically long skull lined with numerous conical teeth.
Was Ophiacodon a dinosaur?
No, Ophiacodon lived tens of millions of years before the first dinosaurs appeared in the Triassic. It was a synapsid, traditionally grouped with the informal assemblage called pelycosaurs, meaning it sits on the evolutionary line leading toward mammals rather than toward reptiles and dinosaurs.
What did Ophiacodon eat?
It was carnivorous, using an elongated skull with many conical teeth suited to seizing slippery prey. This dentition, along with its overall build, has led many paleontologists to suggest at least partially fish-eating or semi-aquatic habits.
Who discovered and named Ophiacodon?
The genus Ophiacodon was named by the famous American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878. Ophiacodon mirus is one of the several species later assigned to the genus from Early Permian North American fossils.
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