the herbivores, Diadectes and Edaphosaurus. The dry interior with small insectivores. Caseids and prototherapsid Tetraceratops made their appearance. The marine life was probable more diverse than modern times as the climate warmed. Unusual sharks such as Helicoprion continued in this series. Early Permian terrestrial faunas were dominated by pelycosaurs, diadectids, and amphibians, The pelycosaurs appeared during the Late Carboniferous, and reached their apex in the Cisuralian remaining the dominant land animals for some 40 million years. A few continued into the Capitanian. They were succeeded by the therapsids. Subdivisions Global Asselian stage (298.9 ± 0.15 – 294.6 ± 0.8 Mya) Sakmarian stage (294.6 ± 0.8 – 290.1 ± 0.7 Mya) Artinskian stage (290.1 ± 0.7 – 283.5 ± 0.7 Mya) Kungurian stage (283.5 ± 0.7 – 272.3 ± 0.5 Mya) Regional New Zealand Telfordian (289 – 278 Mya) Mangapirian (278 – 270.6 Mya) References Geological epochs 01