gorgonopsid

Gorgonopsids were a group of predatory therapsids, a lineage of mammal-like reptiles, that lived during the Permian period, roughly 260 to 252 million years ago. They are characterized by their large size and formidable canine teeth, which gave them their name, derived from the Gorgons of Greek mythology. These apex predators were among the dominant land carnivores of their time, particularly in the Late Permian ecosystems of Pangea.

These animals varied in size, but many were comparable to large dogs or wolves, with some reaching up to 4 meters in length. Their skulls were robust, often featuring a long snout and powerful jaw muscles. The most distinctive feature, however, was their enormous sabre-like canine teeth, which were significantly larger than those of other contemporary predators and were likely used for inflicting deep wounds on their prey. Their bodies were relatively lean, adapted for pursuit and predation.

Gorgonopsids belonged to the order Therapsida, which is significant because therapsids are the direct ancestors of mammals. This makes gorgonopsids important figures in understanding the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals. They possessed a mix of reptilian and mammalian features, such as a mammal-like posture and a potentially more active metabolism than typical reptiles. The extinction of the gorgonopsids, along with most other life on Earth, occurred during the Permian-Triassic extinction event, marking the end of their reign as top predators.