What were the synapsids? when were they most widespread?

Amniotes called synapsids were the ancestors of mammals. ... Some synapsids evolved into therapsids, which became widespread during the Permian Period. The few therapsids that survived the Triassic takeover were small, arboreal insect eaters. They were also nocturnal.

Synapsids evolved from basal amniotes and are one of the two major groups of the later amniotes; the other is the sauropsids, a group that includes modern reptiles and birds. The distinctive temporal fenestra developed in the ancestral synapsid about 312 million years ago, during the Late Carboniferous period.Amniotes called synapsids were the ancestors of mammals. ... Some synapsids evolved into therapsids, which became widespread during the Permian Period. The few therapsids that survived the Triassic takeover were small, arboreal insect eaters. They were also nocturnal