Cynodonts

Cynodonts are a group of synapsid therapsids that lived during the Mesozoic Era. They are characterized by their more advanced mammalian-like characteristics compared to the earlier therapsids. The cynodonts appeared in the late Paleozoic era, around 250 million years ago, and went extinct at the end of the Triassic period, around 200 million years ago.

During their existence, cynodonts developed a range of distinct features, including a more advanced dental arrangement, improved vision, and a more complex brain. They were generally more terrestrial and carnivorous than the earlier non-mammalian therapsids, with some species displaying characteristics of early mammals, such as hair or whiskers.

One of the most important cynodonts is Dimetrodon, which lived during the Early Permian period. However, Dimetrodon is often confused with the cynodonts, as it belongs to a different group of synapsids. The cynodonts that are most closely related to the early mammals are the family Cynodontia, particularly the genus Cynodonts and its relatives. These specialists were characterized by their complex dental teeth, often with specializations for both the meat eating as well as herbivory diets, but also for coprophagy, which allowed their own ancestral caves to remain habitable. The only confirmation, however, that cynodonts shared a common origin with birds or lived close enough to bear eggs, has so far not been reported.