Tillodon
| Tillodon Temporal range:
Bridgerian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skull of T. fodiens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | †Tillodontia |
| Family: | †Esthonychidae |
| Subfamily: | †Trogosinae |
| Genus: | †Tillodon Gazin 1953 |
| Species | |
| |
Tillodon is a genus of tillodont from Eocene North America.[1]
Description
[edit]
Tillodon had a large skull and teeth, with a deep and thick jaw. The molars are brachydont. The premaxilla of Tillodon makes up a majority of the skull's size.[2] Tillodon has been compared to rodents due to enlarged incisor teeth, which (alongside the related Trogosus) has caused the genus to be erroneously considered the ancestors of the rodents .[3]
Paleoecology
[edit]Tillodon is known from the lower Bridger formation, and lived alongside many artiodactyls, such as homacodonts, perissodactyls like the early brontothere Telmatherium, dinocerates like Uintatherium and early carnivorans like Uintacyon.[4]Tillodon most likely ate tubers and roots, much like other tillodonts.[5]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
- ↑ Gazin, C. Lewis (23 June 1953). "THE TILLODONTIA: AN EARLY TERTIARY ORDER OF MAMMALS". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 121 (10).
- ↑ Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1871). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. MBLWHOI Library. [Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia].
- ↑ Gazin, C. Lewis (20 January 1976). "Mammalian Faunal Zones of the Bridger Middle Eocene" (PDF). Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 36 (26): 1–25. doi:10.5479/si.00810266.26.1.
- ↑ Janis, C.M; Scott, K.M; Jacobs, L.L. Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume 1: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulatelike Mammals.
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