Dryolestidae

Dryolestidae
Dryolestidae
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic-Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Theria
Order: Dryolestida
Family: Dryolestidae
Marsh, 1879
Genera
  • Dryolestes
  • Amblotherium
  • Crusafontia
  • Groebertherium
  • Guimarotodus
  • Krebsotherium
  • Laolestes
  • Leonardus
  • Peraspalax
  • Phascolestes
  • Portopinheirodon

Dryolestidae was an abundant and diverse group of Mesozoic mammals. These mammals were different from their relatives by having the following two characteristics:

  • Their upper and lower molars were shortened mesiodistally and widened labiolingually.
  • The anterior root of lower molars were more robust and bigger.

Further reading

  • Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Richard L. Cifelli, and Zhe-Xi Luo, Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: Origins, Evolution, and Structure (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004), 380-382.