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The Permian Period: Before the Dinosaurs
Life abounded throughout the Permian Period and at least some of those lifeforms have been immortalized in what we call Dinosaur toys. At least one of the best known of these pre- Dinosaurs is the Dimetrodon, usually pictured in large groups lolling about on the edge of streams and lakes 
like modern-day crocodiles. The thinking about the "sail" is that it served as temperature regulator and heat-pump, allowing this apex predator to actually get up off his duff and go hunting the local Moschops meal....
  As can be seen they were quite good at what they did as this Carnegie Dimetrodon finds the hollow MPC Moschops particularly easy to get into. In reality the Dimetrodon was about ten feet in length and 5-600 pounds, making it significantly smaller than the Moschops (16 feet and ~one ton) and probably requiring pack-like cooperation to obtain their Permian repast. As a side note and interestingly, the Dimetrodon (name meaning "two-teeth"- as it had different kinds of teeth) is a closer relative of ours than it is to the Dinosaurs.
The Sphenacodon was another top Permian period predator and predated the Dimetrodon. It, too, most likely preyed upon the poor Moschops. A l..o...n....g suffering herbivore. Being ~10 feet in length and weighing-in at about 250-300 pounds the Sphenacodon also must have often hunted in packs in order to bring down that popular Permian period prey and menu staple, the mighty tasty Moschops.
The Sphenacodon was a carnivorous Pelycosaur and as you can see he also took no prisoners, just pate. The Permian period ended in a mass extinction about 250 million years ago referred to by Paleontologists as the "Great Dying." Possibly brought about by a combination of vulcanism and an asteroid impact. Look it up.
To find out more about
The Permian Period
click on the highlighted text.
Other Dinosaur toys that pre-date the Dinosaurs but post-dated the Permian Period are the Cynognathus, a 'therapsid' and another top predator from the early Triassic:
Once again small size, 3-4 feet long and 80-120 pounds, fated this apex predator to be a pack hunter as well. Here seen attacking a herd of Marx Plateosaurs, an early pro-sauropod and a true Dinosaur in its own right.
The last non- Dinosaur toy we have is the Postosuchus. This guy was really more crocodile-like and walked on all fours. He was, once again, the top of the food chain, and ate pretty much whoever he wanted to. At ~20 feet in length and 1.5 tons he was quite capable of doing so. So once again (like the Moschops before him) the unfortunately tasty Marx Plateosaurus takes it on the chin
The Permian and Triassic Periods: "Not-the-" Dinosaurs List
(click on the highlighted not-the Dinosaur toys name to go to its page)
 Marx Cynognathus (1955)
 MPC Cynognathus
 Bullyland Dimetrodon
 Carnegie Dimetrodon (2001)
 China Trademark Dimetrodon
 Inpro Dimetrodon (1972)
 Jurassic Park Dimetrodon (Kenner- 1993)
 "knockoff" Dimetrodon (very much like the UKRD, but smaller)
 Marx Dimetrodon (1955) & (1959)
 MPC Dimetrodon
 Marx Moschops (1961)
 MPC Moschops
 Safari Postosuchus (2008)
 Safari Scutosaurus (2008)
 Marx Sphenacodon (1955)
The Permian Period just hasn't produced a great range or variety of Dinosaur toys, to date. There are several other manufacturers whose product I don't have, or sold before I decided to do this website. For instance UKRD makes an especially nice Dimetrodon that I once had a dozen of and Invicta made a beauty that I have never had any of. So it goes.
You can find these and other, actual Dinosaur toys, listed by company or go directly to Dino-Central to see what else we have to offer.
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