Description
Edaphosaurus boanerges
Early Permian
Ryan Formation
Jefferson County, Oklahoma, USA
Very fine 0.7 inch claw. Rare!
Edaphosaurus was one of the early herbivorous vertebrates. In life it would have looked like a reptile but was not a true reptile in that it belongs to a separate group, the synapsids, that was ancestral to mammals. Like its rather-distant relative, Dimetrodon, it had a large sail on its back which was once interpreted as a means to regulate body temperature but it may have had a display function instead, either to attract potential mates or intimidate rivals.
Edaphosaurus teeth are uncommon; claws are rare.
