In Depth Features of this cetaceans fossils indicate that Mammalodon was a baleen whale, although surprisingly it did not actually have baleen but instead well-developed teeth. Since it could not feed like baleen whales, Mammalodon must have done something different although what is uncertain. There is however one theory that suggests Mammalodon may have sifted … Read more
In Depth Although Hyaenodon translates as ‘hyena tooth’ the only similarities between Hyaenodon and hyenas are the facts that they are both mammals and they both eat meat. Beyond this they are completely different animals with hyenas being more closely related to cats and Hyaenodon actually being a creodont, a long extinct group of mammals … Read more
In Depth Mesopropithecus is currently the smallest of the known sloth lemurs although originally it was thought to have been similar to today’s modern indriid lemurs, an idea based upon comparison between the known skulls. In 1986 however, post cranial remains were found and attributed to the genus and immediately the key feature of a … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia), Samantha S. B. Hopkins - 2005. – A new species of Ceratogaulus from Nebraska and the evolution of nasal horns in Mylagaulidae (Mammalia, Rodentia, Aplodontioidea). – Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. – Jonathan J. M. Calede … Read more
In Depth Docodon was a small animal that lived in North America during the late Jurassic. Though known mostly from teeth and jaw material, we can tell that Docodon had very complex teeth for the time, and that these may have been used to process a variety of things from insects to seeds and other … Read more
In Depth Chonecetus is a whale genus that is usually attributed to the Aetiocetidae a group of primitive ancestors of Baleen whales. There has however been speculation that Chonecetus might be a member of the Archaeoceti, a more ancient group of toothed predatory whales that included genera such as Dorudon and Basilosaurus. If the latter … Read more
In Depth Chilcacetus is a genus of toothed whale that lived in the waters around South America during the Miocene. Further Reading - A new archaic homodont toothed cetacean (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the early Miocene of Peru. - Geodiversitas 37(1):79-108. - O. Lambert, C. de Muizon & G. Bianucci - 2015.
In Depth Cachiyacuy is recognised as one of the earliest known occurrences of the Caviomorpha, a group of rodent mammals that is best known today for including chinchillas and guinea pigs. Another caviomorph from the same Formation as well as being named in the same year as Cachiyacuy is Canaanimys. Further Reading - Middle Eocene … Read more
In Depth Archaeopotamus is a genus of hippopotamuses that lived in Africa and the Middle East. Fossils of Archaeopotamus begin to appear in the late Miocene, making Archaeopotamus one of, perhaps even the oldest hippopotamus known. Further Reading – The Taxonomy and Nomenclature of the Hippopotamidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) and a Description of Two New Fossil … Read more
In Depth Sectisodon is a genus of creodont that lived in Africa during the early Miocene. Further Reading - New Hyaenodonts (Ferae, Mammalia) from the early Miocene of Napak (Uganda), Koru (Kenya) and Grillental (Namibia). - Fossil Imprint 73(3-4):332-359. - J. Morales and M. Pickford - 2017.