Product Code Database
Example Keywords: silk -energy $35-195
   » » Wiki: Alphadon
Tag Wiki 'Alphadon'.
Tag
20%

Alphadon is an extinct genus of small, primitive that was a member of the , a group of mammals that includes modern-day . Its fossils were first discovered and named by George Gaylord Simpson in 1929.


Description
Not much is known about the appearance of Alphadon, as it is only known from teeth, a lower jaw and skull fragments. It probably grew to about and may have resembled a modern . Judging from its teeth, it was likely an , feeding on fruits, invertebrates and possibly small vertebrates. Alphadon had a very good sense of smell and sight to track down its food, both during the day and night. Its possible whiskers could have also aided in its search for food.


Taxonomy and classification
The type species is Alphadon marshi. Eight other species are known. The species Alphadon jasoni was originally described by Storer (1991);Storer, J.E. (1991). The mammals of the Gryde local fauna, Frenchman Formation (: ), Saskatchewan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, vol. 11, no. 3, p. 350-396. it was subsequently transferred to the genus .

Recent phylogenetic studies group it with other northern non-marsupial metatherians such as and .Guillermo W. Rougier; Brian M. Davis; Michael J. Novacek (2015). "A deltatheroidan mammal from the Upper Cretaceous Baynshiree Formation, eastern Mongolia". Cretaceous Research. 52, Part A: 167–177. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.09.009.S. Bi, X. Jin, S. Li and T. Du. 2015. A new Cretaceous metatherian mammal from Henan, China. PeerJ 3:e896 A 2016 phylogenetic analysis is shown below.

Page 1 of 1
1
Post Comment
Font Size...
Font Family...
Font Format...

Page 1 of 1
1

Account

Social:
Pages:  ..   .. 
Items:  .. 

Navigation

General: Atom Feed Atom Feed  .. 
Help:  ..   .. 
Category:  ..   .. 
Media:  ..   .. 
Posts:  ..   ..   .. 

Statistics

Page:  .. 
Summary:  .. 
1 Tags
10/10 Page Rank
5 Page Refs