Docodon
| Docodon Temporal range: Upper Jurassic | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Docodonta |
| Family: | Docodontidae |
| Genus: | Docodon Marsh, 1881 |
| Species | |
| |
Docodon (meaning 'beam tooth') was an omnivorous mammal from Late Jurassic of western North America.
Description
Docodon had complex teeth, which suggest it had a diverse diet. The dentition patterns of the cusps and other molars are complex and distinct and closely resemble those of living mammals.
It was first discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1880. Like other early small mammals it is known only from fossilized teeth since the rest of the body did not fossilize as efficiently. Docodon fossils are found most commonly in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and the paleoenvironment of the genus suggests that it likely inhabited woodland and stayed in trees out of the reach of predators.
Its height is estimated at 10 centimeters with an approximate weight of 30 grams. A 2006 study by J. R. Foster concluded it is the most massive mammal genus of the formation.
Species
- Docodon victor
- Docodon affinis
- Docodon crassus
- Docodon straitus
- Docodon superus
- Docodon apoxys[1]
See also
References
- ↑ Rougier, Guillermo W.; Sheth, Amir S.; Carpenter, Kenneth; Appella-Guiscafre, Lucas; Davis, Brian M. (2014). "A New Species of Docodon (Mammaliaformes: Docodonta) from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation and a Reassessment of Selected Craniodental Characters in Basal Mammaliaforms". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 22: 1–16. doi:10.1007/s10914-014-9263-8.
- Foster, J.R.; Trujillo, K.C.; Madsen, S.K.; Martin, J.E. (2006). "The Late Jurassic mammal Docodon, from the Morrison Formation of the Black Hills, Wyoming: implications for abundance and biogeography of the genus". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 36: 165–169.