Dicynodon

Dicynodon was an extinct genus of herbivorous therapsids (mammal-like reptiles) that lived during the Late Permian and Early Triassic periods. Recognizable by its turtle-like beak and tusks, it was a successful land predator that resembled a large, stocky mammal. Dicynodon had a robust body, strong limbs, and specialized teeth for grinding plants. It played a significant role in its ecosystem as a herbivore before it went extinct around 252 million years ago during the Earth's largest mass extinction event. Its fossils help scientists understand the evolutionary transition from reptiles to mammals.