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Ptilodus
| Ptilodus Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Skull of P. mediaevus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Multituberculata |
| Suborder: | †Cimolodonta |
| Superfamily: | †Ptilodontoidea |
| Family: | †Ptilodontidae |
| Genus: | †Ptilodus Cope, 1881 |
| Species | |
|
P. fractus | |
Ptilodus (meaning "soft-haired") is a genus of mammals from the extinct order of Multituberculata, and lived during the Paleocene in North America.
Ptilodus was a relatively large multituberculate of 30 to 50 centimetres (12 to 20 in) in length, which is about the same size as a squirrel. Its feet, legs and long tail suggest it was a good climber, so it very possibly led a squirrel-like lifestyle.[1]
Like other ptilodontids, it had a very large and elongated last lower premolar which formed a serrated slicing blade.
The genus was named by paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1881. Cope also mistakenly assigned some material belonging to this genus to Chirox in 1884. Elements from Ectypodus (Jepsen, 1940) and Neoplagiaulax have also been reassigned to this genus.
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 199. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
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