Edaphosaurus

prehistoric · synapsid · plant-eater · ancient reptile

Pavement of teeth. Edaphosaurus had an unusual jaw lined with flat, densely-packed teeth arranged like a tiled floor, which scientists think it used to grind up tough plants instead of biting like modern animals.

Ancient wanderer. This creature lived between 303 and 272 million years ago, roaming what would become North America and Europe when the world looked completely different.

Plant muncher. Edaphosaurus was a herbivore that probably ate early plants, insects, and other small things it could find on the ancient ground.

Named by a scientist. An American paleontologist named Edward Drinker Cope discovered and named Edaphosaurus in 1882, using Greek words meaning 'ground lizard' because of its special teeth.

Early synapsid. Edaphosaurus belonged to a group called synapsids, which were early relatives of mammals and lived long before dinosaurs walked the Earth.