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''Docodon'' (meaning 'beam tooth') was a mammaliaform from the
''Docodon'' was the first docodontan cynodont found and named, and later gave its name to the family Docodontidae as well as the order
"Re-examination of the Jurassic mammaliaform ''Docodon victor'' by computed tomography and occlusal functional analysis"
''Journal of Mammalian Evolution''. in press. *''Docodon victor'' *''Docodon apoxys''
DocodonDocodon LibraryMammal Genus
Docodonts Jurassic vertebrates of North America Morrison fauna Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh Fossil taxa described in 1881 Prehistoric cynodont genera {{Jurassic-animal-stub
Late Jurassic
The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 163.5 ± 1.0 to 145.0 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.Owen 1987.
In European lithostratigraphy, the name ...
of western North America. It was the first docodonta
Docodonta is an order of extinct mammaliaforms that lived during the Mesozoic, from the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. They are distinguished from other early mammaliaforms by their relatively complex molar teeth, from which the order ...
n cynodont to be named.
Description
''Docodon'' was the first docodontan cynodont found and named, and later gave its name to the family Docodontidae as well as the order Docodonta
Docodonta is an order of extinct mammaliaforms that lived during the Mesozoic, from the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. They are distinguished from other early mammaliaforms by their relatively complex molar teeth, from which the order ...
.Kretzoi, M. (1946). "On Docodonta, a new order of Jurassic Mammals". ''Anneles Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici''. 39 :108-111. Docodonts had more complex shaped teeth than other early non-mammalian mammaliaforms, with piercing and crushing surfaces that would have allowed members of this family to eat a wider range of food types. These complex teeth are more similar to those of later mammal groups, but evolved independently of them.
Unlike many of its coexisting mammal relatives from the Mesozoic, ''Docodon'' is known from a large number of teeth and jaws of differing growth stages. This has made it possible to study the growth of this docodontan, and has revealed how docodont jaws change from juvenile stages to adulthood.
Discovery
''Docodon'' was discovered by William Harlow Reed and named byOthniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 – March 18, 1899) was an American professor of Paleontology in Yale College and President of the National Academy of Sciences. He was one of the preeminent scientists in the field of paleontology. Among ...
in 1880. Like many other early small mammaliaforms, it is known mainly from fossilized teeth and jaws, as these are the hardest parts of the body and survive more easily in the fossil record. ''Docodon'' fossils are found most commonly in the Black Hills
The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black ...
region of South Dakota.
Its height is estimated at 10 centimeters with an approximate weight of 30 grams, making it one of the larger mammaliaforms known from the Morrison Formation
The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Upper Jurassic sedimentary rock found in the western United States which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltston ...
.
Species
A number of species have been erected, but most are now considered to represent ''D. victor'', with differences being attributed to differing ages of the individuals represented.Chure, D. J.; Litwin, R.; Hasiotis, S. T.; Evanoff, E. & Carpenter, K. (2006). "The fauna and flora of the Morrison Formation". In ''Palaeontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation''. Foster, J. R & Lucas, S. G. R. M. (eds). ''New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin'' 36. However, ''D. apoxys'' is still considered a separate species from ''D. victor'' due to differing numbers of tooth roots.Schultz, J. A.; Bhullar, B.-A. S. & Luo, Z.-X. (2018)"Re-examination of the Jurassic mammaliaform ''Docodon victor'' by computed tomography and occlusal functional analysis"
''Journal of Mammalian Evolution''. in press. *''Docodon victor'' *''Docodon apoxys''
See also
*Morrison Formation
The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Upper Jurassic sedimentary rock found in the western United States which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltston ...
** Mammaliaforms of the Morrison Formation
References
External links
Docodon
Docodonts Jurassic vertebrates of North America Morrison fauna Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh Fossil taxa described in 1881 Prehistoric cynodont genera {{Jurassic-animal-stub