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Triconodont
Eutriconodonta is an order of early mammals. Eutriconodonts existed in Asia (including pre-contact India), Africa, Europe, North and South America during the Jurassic and the Cretaceous periods. The order was named by Kermack ''et al.'' in 1973 as a replacement name for the paraphyletic Triconodonta. Traditionally seen as the classical Mesozoic small mammalian insectivores, discoveries over the years have shown them to be among the best examples of the diversity of mammals in this time period, including a vast variety of bodyplans, ecological niches and locomotion methods. Classification "Triconodonta" had long been used as the name for an order of early mammals which were close relatives of the ancestors of all present-day mammals, characterized by molar teeth with three main cusps on a crown that were arranged in a row. The group originally included only the family Triconodontidae and taxa that were later assigned to the separate family Amphilestidae, but was later expande ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triconodontidae
Triconodontidae is an extinct family of small, carnivorous mammals belonging to the order Eutriconodonta, endemic to what would become Asia, Europe, North America and probably also Africa and South America during the Jurassic through Cretaceous periods at least from 190–66 mya. Triconodontids can be distinguished from other eutriconodonts by the shape of their molars, which bore three main cusps of roughly equal size. During occlusion, the upper and lower molars interlocked tightly, producing a self-sharpening cutting edge. Historically, the triconodontids were thought to have a different occlusion pattern than other eutriconodonts, with the middle cusp of the lower molar (cusp a) fitting between the middle cusp (cusp A) and the front cusp (cusp B) of the upper molar, as in the basal mammaliaform ''Morganucodon''. However, a 2020 study on '' Priacodon'' suggests that triconodontids occluded their molars in the same manner as other eutriconodonts (so-called "embrasure occlusio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeholodentidae
The family Jeholodentidae is a possible eutriconodont family that was present in China around 125 million years ago during the time of the dinosaurs. There are currently two genera assigned to the family, '' Yanoconodon'' and '' Jeholodens''. However, recent studies have shown it to be paraphyletic in relation to Triconodontidae Triconodontidae is an extinct family of small, carnivorous mammals belonging to the order Eutriconodonta, endemic to what would become Asia, Europe, North America and probably also Africa and South America during the Jurassic through Cretaceous p ..., with '' Yanoconodon'' being closer to them than to '' Jeholodens''. Taxonomy * Family †Jeholodentidae Luo ''et al.'', 2007Mikko's Phylogeny ArchivPaleofile.com (net, info) . ** Genus †'' Yanoconodon'' Luo, Chen, Li & Chen, 2007 *** Species †'' Yanoconodon allini'' Luo, Chen, Li & Chen, 2007 ** Genus †'' Jeholodens'' Ji, Luo & Ji, 1999 *** Species †'' Jeholodens jenkinsi'' Ji, Luo & Ji, 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triconodon Owen
''Triconodon'' ("three-coned tooth") is a genus of extinct mammal from the Early Cretaceous of England and France with two known species: ''T. mordax'' and ''T. averianovi''. First described in 1859 by Richard Owen,R. Owen. 1859. Palaeontology. '' Encyclopedia Britannica, 8th ed.'' 17:91-176 . Wagner/P. Wagner it is the type genus for the order Triconodonta, a group of mammals characterised by their three-cusped (triconodont) molar teeth. Since then, this "simplistic" type of dentition has been understood to be either ancestral for mammals or else to have evolved multiple times, rendering "triconodonts" a paraphyletic or polyphyletic assemblage respectively, but several lineages of "triconodont" mammals do form a natural, monophyletic group, known as Eutriconodonta, of which ''Triconodon'' is indeed part of. ''Triconodon'', therefore, is significant in the understanding of the evolution of mammals by originating the understanding of the "triconodont" grade and eutriconodont cla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volaticotherium
''Volaticotherium antiquum'' (meaning "ancient gliding beast") is an extinct, gliding, insectivorous mammal that lived in Asia during the Jurassic period, around 164 mya. It is the only member of the genus ''Volaticotherium''. The discovery of ''Volaticotherium'' provided the earliest-known record of a gliding mammal (70 million years older than the next oldest example), until the discovery of the contemporary haramiyidans ''Maiopatagium'', ''Vilevolodon'' and '' Xianshou'', and provided further evidence of mammalian diversity during the Mesozoic Era. The closely related and significantly older '' Argentoconodon'' shows similar post-cranial adaptations for aerial locomotion also seen in ''Volaticotherium''. Discovery The only known fossil of ''Volaticotherium'' was recovered from the Daohugou Beds of Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China. The age of the Daohugou Beds is currently uncertain and the subject of debate, but most studies suggest an age of around 164 plus or min ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volaticotherini
Volaticotherini is a clade of eutriconodont mammals from the Mesozoic. In addition to the type genus '' Volaticotherium'', it includes the genera '' Argentoconodon'', '' Ichthyoconodon'', and potentially '' Triconolestes''. Since most remains are primarily teeth, they are foremostly diagnosticated by their highly distinctive molars. However, the remains of one species, '' Volaticotherium antiquum'', show that at least some members of this clade were capable of gliding. and '' Argentoconodon'' shares similar post-cranial features that also indicate aerial locomotion. As such, this clade contains some of the oldest known aerial mammals, alongside the various gliding haramiyidans. Definition Volaticotherini is phylogenetically defined as the clade derived from the most recent common ancestor of ''Argentoconodon'', ''Ichthyoconodon,'' and ''Volaticotherium''. History '' Ichthyoconodon'' was the first described member of this group, back in 1995, previously usually ranked among eut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morganucodon
''Morganucodon'' ("Glamorgan tooth") is an early mammaliaform genus that lived from the Late Triassic to the Middle Jurassic. It first appeared about 205 million years ago. Unlike many other early mammaliaforms, ''Morganucodon'' is well represented by abundant and well-preserved (though in the vast majority of cases disarticulated) material. Most of this comes from Glamorgan in Wales (''Morganucodon watsoni''), but fossils have also been found in Yunnan Province in China (''Morganucodon oehleri'') and various parts of Europe and North America. Some closely related animals (''Megazostrodon'') are known from exquisite fossils from South Africa. The name comes from a Latinization of ''Morganuc'', the name for South Glamorgan in the Domesday Book, the county of Wales where it was discovered by Walter Georg Kühne,Walter G. Kühne, "On a Triconodont tooth of a new pattern from a Fissure-filling in South Glamorgan", ''Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London'', volume 119 (1949� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amphidontidae
The Amphidontidae are a family of extinct mammals from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous, belonging to the eutriconodonts. It contains most of the species previously belonged to Amphilestidae. Phylogeny Cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ... after Marisol Montellano, James A. Hopson, James M. Clark (2008) and Gao ''et al.'' (2010). Taxonomy Based on the works by Mikko HaaramoMikko's Phylogeny Archiv and the Palaeofile website.Paleofile.com (net, info) . *Family †Amphidontidae Simpson 1925 **Genus †'' Acinacodus'' Lopatin, Maschenko & Averianov 2010 ***Species †'' Acinacodus tagaricus'' Lopatin, Maschenko & Averianov 2010 **Genus †'' Aploconodon'' Simpson 1925 ***Species †'' Aploconodon comoensis'' Simpson 1925 **Genus †'' Comodon'' K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dyskritodon
''Dyskritodon'' ("tooth of unknown origin", from Greek language, Greek δυσκρίτος, "''dyskritos''"Sigogneau-Russell, D. (1995) Two possibly aquatic triconodont mammals from the Early Cretaceous of Morocco. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 40(2), p.149-162.) is a genus of extinct mammal from the Early Cretaceous of Morocco, and possibly the Early Jurassic of India. Of uncertain affinities, it is tentatively described as a eutriconodont. Description The type species, ''D. amazighi'', is known from the Ksar Metlili Formation in the Atlas Mountains, dating to the Berriasian. It is known from several Molar (tooth), molars, about 1.85 mm long. These teeth are noted for being rather high and narrow crowned, bearing three main cusps that decrease in height posteriorly, as well as two minuscule mesial cusps. ''D. indicus'' is known from a single lower molar tooth from the Kota Formation, dating to the Hettangian-Pliensbachian. It is very similar to ''D. amazighi'', differing in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Klameliidae
Klameliidae is a family of extinct mammals from the Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ... which are closely related to the Gobiconodonts. It contains only two genera: ''Ferganodon'' and ''Klamelia''. They are distinguished from Gobiconodonts by parallelogram shaped lower molariforms and other slight differences in dental topography. References * Middle Jurassic first appearances Middle Jurassic extinctions Prehistoric mammal families Taxa named by Thomas Martin (paleontologist) Taxa named by Alexander O. Averianov {{jurassic-mammal-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liaoconodon
''Liaoconodon'' is an extinct genus of early mammal from the early Cretaceous (early Aptian stage, approximately 120 Ma). It is a eutriconodont which lived in what is now the Jianchang of Liaoning Province, eastern China. It is known from the holotype IVPP V 16051, which consists of nearly complete skeleton and skull. It was found in the Jiufotang Formation (Jehol Biota) near Xiaotaizi, Lamadong. It was first named by Jin Meng, Yuanqing Wang and Chuankui Li in 2011 and the type species is ''Liaoconodon hui''. Studies on its anatomy show that it was a semi-aquatic mammal, having a long body and paddle-like limbs. Phylogeny Cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ... after Thomas Martin et al. 2015Thomas Martin, Jesús Marugán-Lobón, Romain Vullo, Hu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Insular India
Insular India was an isolated landmass which became the Indian subcontinent. Across the latter stages of the Cretaceous and most of the Paleocene, following the breakup of Gondwana, the Indian subcontinent remained an isolated landmass as the Indian Plate drifted across the Tethys Ocean, forming the Indian Ocean. The process of India's separation from Madagascar first began 88 million years ago, but complete isolation only occurred towards the end of the Maastrichtian, a process that has been suggested to be the creation of the Deccan Traps. Soon after, the land mass moved northward rather quickly, until contact with Asia was established 55 million years ago. Even then, both landmasses did not become fully united until around 35 million years ago, and periods of isolation occurred as recently as 24 million years ago. Thus, for a period of 53 million years India retained a degree of isolation, 11 of which it was a complete island continent. This allowed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Repenomamus
''Repenomamus'' (Latin: "reptile" (reptilis), "mammal" (mammalis)) is a genus of opossum- to badger-sized Gobiconodontidae, gobiconodontid mammal containing two species, ''Repenomamus robustus'' and ''Repenomamus giganticus''. Both species are known from fossils found in China that date to the early Cretaceous period, about 125-123.2 million years ago. ''R. robustus'' is one of several Mesozoic mammals for which there is good evidence that it fed on vertebrates, including dinosaurs. Though it is not entirely clear whether these animals primarily hunted live dinosaurs or scavenged dead ones, evidence for the former is present in fossilized remains showcasing the results of what was most likely a predation attempt by ''R. robustus'' directed at a specimen of the dinosaur ''Psittacosaurus, Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis''. ''R. giganticus'' is among the largest mammals known from the Mesozoic era, only surpassed by ''Patagomaia''. Classification and discovery The fossils were rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
