Zalambdalestes

Za-lam-dah-less-teez.
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Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Name

Zalambdalestes ‭(‬much-like-lambda robber‭)‬.

Phonetic

Za-lam-dah-less-teez.

Named By

W.‭ ‬K.‭ ‬Gregory & G.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬Simpson‭ ‬-‭ ‬1926.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Eutheria,‭ ‬Anagalida,‭ ‬Zalambdalestidae.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

Z.‭ ‬lechei‭

Size

About‭ ‬20‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

Mongolia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Mongolia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Djadokhta Formation.

Time Period

Campanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial remains.

In Depth

       Zalambdalestes has been interpreted as a Eutherian mammal,‭ ‬though it has also been considered to have been an early placental mammal.‭ ‬Zalambdalestes would have been similar to shrews today,‭ ‬hunting for insects while trying to avoid predatory dinosaurs such as the dromaeosaurid Mahakala and the troodont Byronosaurus.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Cretaceous mammal skulls from Mongolia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬American Museum Novitates‭ ‬225:1-20.‭ ‬-‭ ‬W.‭ ‬K.‭ ‬Gregory & G.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬Simpson‭ ‬-‭ ‬1926. -‭ ‬New data on the skull and dentition in the Mongolian Late Cretaceous eutherian mammal Zalambdalestes.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Bulletin Of The American Museum Of Natural History‭ ‬281,‭ ‬1-144.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Wible,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Novacek‭ & ‬G.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Rougier‭ ‬-‭ ‬2004.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT