Biota - Lifeforms

Life in the Permian was indeed very diverse, and marine life was much more diverse than it is today. The gradual warming of the climate during the Early Permian (298.9ma - 272.3ma) stimulated a major evolution of marine and terrestrial organisms.

Permian terrestrial life was closely linked to the evolution of terrestrial plants, the main food source for terrestrial animals. Early Permian plant fossils are dominated by ferns, seed ferns and brown algae adapted to wetlands and marshes.

Plant diversity is also seen in the rapid evolution of insects. Insects have adapted to new environments and developed very special relationships with plants, giving rise to many new species.

Several important reptile lineages, ancestors of relatively large amphibians, first appeared in the Permian. While some primitive and widespread reptile fossils are found in Carboniferous sediments, Permian reptile fossils are common in certain regions and include protorosaurs, aquatic reptiles that are ancestors of archosaurs.

Synapsids, mammal-like reptiles can be divided into two orders: pelycosaurs and therapsids. The fossil record of about 80 million years shows a surprisingly complete transition in skeletal features from typical early reptiles to true mammals.

Therapsids are advanced synapsids known from the Middle and Upper Permian of South Africa, the Triassic Karoo Formation and similar formations in South America, India, Scotland and Russia. Therapsids are highly diverse and have a mammal-like dentition and skeleton.