Priacodon is an extinct genus of Late Jurassic eutriconodont mammal from the Alcobaça Formation of Portugal and the Morrison Formation of the midwestern United States.
It is present in stratigraphic zones 4–6 of the latter.[Foster, J. (2007). "Appendix." Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. Indiana University Press. pp. 327–329.] The genus contains four known species: Priacodon ferox, Priacodon fruitaensis, Priacodon lulli and Priacodon robustus.
Jaw and teeth
A study on the jaw and teeth of
Priacodon suggests that eutriconodonts, while specialised towards carnivory, had a more passive jaw roll than modern
carnivores. It also demonstrates that embrasure occlusion was present in all eutriconodonts, as opposed to one-to-one patterns as previously assumed for the family
Triconodontidae.
See also
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Paleobiota of the Morrison Formation
Bibliography
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Foster, J. (2007). Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. Indiana University Press. 389pp.