Horolodectes Temporal range: Late Paleocene | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Clade: | Eutheria |
Family: | †Horolodectidae |
Genus: | †Horolodectes Scott et al. 2006 |
Type species | |
Horolodectes sunae |
Horolodectes sunae is a prehistoric eutherian mammal species from the Late Paleocene of northern Alberta, Canada. The generic name means "hourglass biter" in Greek in direct reference of the hourglass-shape of its teeth.
Horolodectes, along with the slightly older genus Ferrequitherium, belongs to the family Horolodectidae.
Description
The dentition of Horolodectes comprises trenchant, posteriorly leaning premolars and comparatively primitive molars, which indicate a masticatory cycle that consisted primarily of shearing and, to a lesser degree, horizontal grinding.
References
- Craig S. Scott (2018). "Horolodectidae: a new family of unusual eutherians (Mammalia: Theria) from the Palaeocene of Alberta, Canada". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. in press. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zly040.
- Scott C.S, Webb M.W. and Fox R.C. (2005). "Horolodectes sunae, an enigmatic mammal from the Late Paleocene of Alberta, Canada". Journal of Paleontology: 1009–1025.
Taxon identifiers | |
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Horolodectes sunae |
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