Cronopio

Cro-noe-pe-oh.
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Liam Carter

Paleoanthropologist

Liam Carter explores the roots of humanity by studying early human fossils and artifacts. His ground-breaking work has provided a deeper understanding of our ancestors' lifestyles and social structures.

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Name

Cronopio ‭(‬After a fictional character‭)‬.

Phonetic

Cro-noe-pe-oh.

Named By

Guillermo W.‭ ‬Rougier,‭ ‬Sebasti�n Apestegu�a‭ & ‬Leandro C.‭ ‬Gaetano‭ ‬-‭ ‬2011.‭

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Dryolestoidea,‭ ‬Meridiolestida.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

C.‭ ‬dentiacutus‭

Size

Uncertain due to incomplete remains,‭ ‬but estimated to be several centimetres long.

Known locations

Argentina‭ ‬-‭ ‬Candeleros Formation.

Time Period

Cenomanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Two partial skulls and mandibles‭ (‬lower jaw bones‭)‬.

In Depth

       This small mammal is most important for being the earliest known dryolestoid mammal from South America.‭ ‬However it is more famous for its unusual arrangement of teeth.‭ ‬Cronopio had very slender jaws and in the centre of the top jaw there were two enlarged canine teeth,‭ ‬something which has given rise to the nickname of‭ ‘‬sabre-toothed squirrel‭’‬.‭ ‬Another resemblance is to that of the cgi character Scrat in the Ice Age films.‭

       These enlarged canines as well as the jaws were quite gracile in form,‭ ‬and certainly not suited for strong biting.‭ ‬Instead the main food processing teeth were much smaller and suited for eating insects.‭ ‬It could be that the enlarged canine teeth had a special purpose,‭ ‬such as making it easier to disable a particulary dangerous species of insect,‭ ‬or combined with the narrow jaws to root into nooks and crevices.‭ ‬It is also possible the teeth may have been more for show rather than physical use.

Further Reading

– Highly specialized mammalian skulls from the Late Cretaceous of South America. – Nature 479:98-102. – G. W. Rougier, S. Apestegu�a & L. C. Gaetano – 2011.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT