Dryolestidae
| Dryolestidae Temporal range: Middle Jurassic-Late Cretaceous | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Subclass: | Theria |
| Order: | Dryolestida |
| Family: | †Dryolestidae Marsh, 1879 |
| Genera | |
| |
Dryolestidae was an abundant and diverse group of Mesozoic mammals. These mammals were different from their relatives by having the following two characteristics:
- Their upper and lower molars were shortened mesiodistally and widened labiolingually.
- The anterior root of lower molars were more robust and bigger.
Further reading
- Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Richard L. Cifelli, and Zhe-Xi Luo, Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: Origins, Evolution, and Structure (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004), 380-382.