'Ctenacodon'
Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Therapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Multituberculata
Family: Plagiaulacidae
Genus: "Ctenacodon"
Species
  "C." brentbaatar
Ref.

"Ctenacodon" (not Ctenacodon) is an extinct mammal from the Upper Jurassic of North America. It was a member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata, suborder Plagiaulacida, family Plagiaulacidae, and lived at the same time as more famous creatures such as Allosaurus.

Genus: "Ctenacodon"

Species: "Ctenacodon" brentbaatar Bakker, 1998

Place: Morrison Formation, Wyoming, USA

Age: Upper Jurassic

Remarks: Based on a well preserved upper tooth (1 mm long). The species name honours the Wyoming paleontologist, Brent Breithaupt. Baatar, Mongolian for "hero", is apparently a reference to the heroics involved in surviving, whilst being very small and surrounded by dinosaurs.

References

  • R.T. Bakker (1998), "Dinosaur mid-life crisis: the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition in Wyoming and Colorado", in: S.G. Lucas, J.I. Kirkland and J. Estep (eds.), "Lower and Middle Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems", New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletin 14, p.67-77.
  • Z. Kielan-Jaworowska and J.H. Hurum (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals", Paleontology 44, p.389-429.

External link