Extinct superfamily of mammals
Ptilodontoidea |
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Skull of Ptilodus |
Scientific classification |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | †Multituberculata |
Suborder: | †Cimolodonta |
Superfamily: | †Ptilodontoidea |
Families |
- Neoplagiaulacidae
- Ptilodontidae
- Cimolodontidae
- Neoliotomus
- Filikomys
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Ptilodontoidea is a group of extinct mammals from the Northern Hemisphere. They were generally small, somewhat rodent-like creatures of the extinct order Multituberculata.
Some of these genera boast a great many species, though remains are generally sparse. Ptilodus is among the best known, and there's a tendency to depict it as an analog of a squirrel.
Upper Cretaceous remains are known from North America and Europe. Later representatives (Paleocene - Eocene) hail from North America, Europe and Asia. These were some of the last multituberculates, and they are within the suborder Cimolodonta.
The superfamily is further divided into the following families:
The affinities of Neoliotomus are less clear, though it seems to fit somewhere within the superfamily.
References
- Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Hurum JH (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals." Paleontology 44, p. 389-429.
- Much of this information has been derived from [1] MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Ptilodontoidea, an Internet directory.
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Paulchoffatioidea | |
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Plagiaulacoidea | |
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Cimolodonta | |
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Taxon identifiers |
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Ptilodontoidea | |
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