Kuehneotheriidae
| Kuehneotheriids Temporal range: Late Triassic - Early Jurassic, 220–195 Ma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Clade: | Holotheria |
| Superlegion: | †Kuehneotheria |
| Family: | †Kuehneotheriidae Kermack, Kermack, & Mussett, 1968 |
| Type species | |
| †Kuehneotherium praecursoris Kermack, Kermack, & Mussett, 1968 | |
| Genera | |
|
†Indotherium? | |
Kuehneotheriidae is a clade within 'Symmetrodonta' and was named to embrace Kuehneotherium and Woutersia, which lived in Europe in the late Triassic and early Jurassic. All members of Kuehneotheriidae which have been found so far are represented only by teeth, but these teeth have features which have led paleontologists to classify Kuehneotheriidae as very close relatives of the first true mammals.[1] But fossil clades based solely on teeth often lead to difficulties (Ausktribosphenidae are a good example), and it is not possible to draw significant conclusions about mammalian evolution from the Kuehneotheriidae - unless someone finds more complete fossils.
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References
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