Edaphosaurus

Edaphosaurus Temporal range: Late Carboniferous to Early Permian
Restoration of Edaphosaurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Synapsida
Order:	Pelycosauria
Suborder:	Eupelycosauria
Family:	Edaphosauridae
Genus:	Edaphosaurus Cope, 1882
Species
E. boanerges (Romer and Price, 1940) E. colohistion (Berman, 1979) E. cruciger (Cope, 1878) E. novomexicanus (Williston and Case, 1913) E. pogonias (Cope, 1882 (type))  ?E. raymondi (Case, 1908)
Synonyms
Brachycnemius (Williston, 1911) Naosaurus (Cope, 1886)

Edaphosaurus was a pelycosaur (early mammal-like reptile) that lived during the late Carboniferous and early Permian Period. It was a herbivorous relative of another pelycosaur, the well-known Dimetrodon, and like synapsid had a large, thermal regulating sail on its back. Fossils of Edaphosaurus have been found in Europe and North America.

Description

Skull of Edaphosaurus in lateral and dorsal views.

Edaphosaurus was about 11 feet long and weighed more than 600 pounds. It was slightly taller and stockier than Dimetrodon, but like its pelycosaur relatives had a small head and a long tail.