''Paurodon'' is an extinct genus of Late Jurassic mammal from the

Morrison Formation The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic, 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, sandsto ...

of the Western United States.

Taxonomy

''Paurodon'' is the type genus of the dryolestidan group Paurodontidae. ''Araeodon'', ''Archaeotrigon'', ''Foxraptor'', and ''Pelicopsis'' are apparently growth stages of ''Paurodon''.

Distribution and stratigraphy

Remains of ''Paurodon'' have been found in stratigraphic zone 5 of the Morrison Formation in Como Bluff, Wyoming.Foster, J. (2007). "Appendix." ''Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World''. Indiana University Press. pp. 327-329.

Biology

''Paurodon'' was strongly convergent with modern golden moles in terms of dentition and jaw shape. This suggests that its diet was composed of earthworms (unlike other contemporary dryolestoids, which were more insectivorous) and may have even been subterranean, like the more derived '' Necrolestes''.Ontogeny and taxonomy of Paurodon valens (Mammalia, Cladotheria) from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of USA. (pdf), Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS Vol. 319, No. 3, 2015, рр. 326–340

References

* Foster, J. (2007). Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. Indiana University Press. 389pp. Dryolestida Morrison mammals Fossil taxa described in 1887 Prehistoric mammal genera {{jurassic-mammal-stub

Taxonomy

Distribution and stratigraphy

Biology

See also

References