''Argentoconodon'' (meaning " Argentina cone tooth") is an extinct genus of theriimorph

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

from the

Cañadón Asfalto Formation The Cañadón Asfalto Formation is a Lower Jurassic to Late Jurassic geologic formation, from the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic Era. Its age is controversial, uranium-lead dating of the volcanic tuff beds having given various different ages. A ...

of the Cañadón Asfalto Basin in Patagonia. When originally described, it was known only from a single molariform tooth, which possessed a combination of primitive and

derived Derive may refer to: * Derive (computer algebra system), a commercial system made by Texas Instruments * ''Dérive'' (magazine), an Austrian science magazine on urbanism *Dérive, a psychogeographical concept See also * *Derivation (disambiguatio ...

features. The tooth is currently held in the

Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio The Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (MEF, in es, Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio) is a science research and exhibition center in Trelew city, Patagonia, Argentina. Its permanent and travelling exhibitions focus on the fossil remains ...

, where it was given the specimen number MPEF-PV 1877. New material described in 2011 show that ''Argentoconodon'' was similar to ''

Ichthyoconodon ''Ichthyoconodon'' is an extinct genus of eutriconodont mammal from the Lower Cretaceous of Morocco. It is notable for having been found in a unique marine location, and the shape of its teeth suggests an unusual, potentially fish-eating ecologi ...

'', '' Jugulator'' and '' Volaticotherium'' within the family Triconodontidae, and possibly also ''

Triconolestes ''Triconolestes'' is an extinct genus of Late Jurassic eutriconodont mammal from the Morrison Formation, present in stratigraphic zones 4.Foster, J. (2007). "Appendix." ''Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World''. ...

''.

Aerial locomotion

Several postcranial similarities to '' Volaticotherium'' suggest that ''Argentoconodon'' was capable of gliding. In particular, its femur shares the same shape and proportions as its more complete relative, being highly specialised and without a femoral head, being less competent in rotational movement but more useful in extending the leg and resisting flight stresses. ''Argentoconodons spatio-temporal distribution has been noted as being unusual, in that it is not only a rare Early Jurassic eutriconodont, but also one of the only two South American members of this group, the other being the slightly younger ''

Condorodon ''Condorodon'' is a genus of extinct mammals from the Lower Jurassic Cañadón Asfalto Formation of the Cañadón Asfalto Basin in Patagonia, Argentina. The type species is ''C. spanios'', described by Gaetano and Rougier in 2012. Classificati ...

''; other mammals in the Cañadon Asfalto Formation are various australosphenidans and a putative

allothere Allotheria (meaning "other beasts", from the Greek , '–other and , '–wild animal) is an extinct branch of successful Mesozoic mammals. The most important characteristic was the presence of lower molariform teeth equipped with two longitudi ...

. This has been considered worthy of interest in the future.

Diet

Like most eutriconodonts ''Argentoconodon'' was most likely animalivorous, its molars adapted to shear. In a study detailing Mesozoic mammal diets it ranks among carnivorous species. This is further corroborated by another study on Mesozoic mammal mandibles, where in plots among carnivorous rather than insectivorous taxa.

References

Eutriconodonts Gliding animals Jurassic mammals of South America Jurassic Argentina Fossils of Argentina Cañadón Asfalto Formation Fossil taxa described in 2007 Taxa named by Guillermo W. Rougier Taxa named by Alberto Garrido Taxa named by Leandro Gaetano Taxa named by Pablo F. Puerta Taxa named by Cynthia Corbitt Taxa named by Michael J. Novacek Prehistoric mammal genera {{Jurassic-mammal-stub