Ptilodontidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ptilodontidae Fossil range: Late Cretaceous - Paleocene |
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 Skull of Ptilodus
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Ptilodontidae is a family of mammals within the extinct order Multituberculata. Representatives are known from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene of North America.
The Ptilodontidae family was originally named Ptilodontinae and classified as a subfamily by Edward Drinker Cope in 1887. It was amended by Gregory and Simpson in 1926 to its current status.
In addition, Cope mistakenly classified the Ptilodus genus as a marsupial. He originally named it Chirox, and placed it in the new family Chirogidae in 1887. Since it has been reclassifed, and Chirogidae is now officially a synonym of Ptilodontidae.
[edit] References
- Edward Drinker Cope (1887) "The marsupial genus Chirox", American Naturalist 21, pg. 566-567.
- Kielan-Jaworowska, Z. & Hurum, J.H. (2001) "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals", Paleontology 44, pg. 389-429.
- Much of this information has been derived from Mesozoic Mammals: Ptilodontoidea, an Internet directory.
