Taeniolabis

Taxobox
name = "Taeniolabis"
fossil_range = Paleocene

---

image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Taeniolabis taoensis" jaw and skull, Am. Mus. 16321.
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Multituberculata
superfamilia = Taeniolabidoidea
genus = "Taeniolabis"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "T. lamberti"
* "T. taoensis"

"Taeniolabis" ("Ribbon Lips") is a genus of extinct mammal from the Paleocene of North America. It is the largest known member of the extinct order Multituberculata, reaching weights of perhaps 30 kg. It is within the suborder of Cimolodonta and is a member of the superfamily Taeniolabidoidea. The genus was named by Cope E.D. in 1882. Species have also been placed with the genera "Catopsalis" and "Polymastodon" Cope, 1882.

The species "Taeniolabis lamberti" was named by Simmons N.B. in 1987. It has been found in the Puercan (Paleocene)-age Tullock Formation of Montana. It's not quite as large as "T. taoensis", but still a hefty size for a multituberculate.

The species "Taeniolabis taoensis" was named by Cope E.D. in 1882. It is also known as "Catopsalis pollux" (Cope, 1882); "Polymastodon attenuatus" (Cope, 1885); "P. latimolis" Cope, 1885; "P. selenodus" Osborn H.F. and Earle C., 1895; "P. taoensis" (Cope, 1882); "T. attetuatus"; "T. scalper" (Cope 1884); "T. sulcatus" (Cope 1882a); "T. triserialis" (Granger & Simpson, 1929). They are found in the Puercan-age Nacimiento Formation of New Mexico and Wyoming and in the Ravenscrag Formation of Saskatchewan. This species had a 6 in. (16 cm) long skull. It was a real heavyweight; the largest known multituberculate, this creature was as big as a beaver.

References

* Cope (1882), "A new genus of Taeniodonta". "American Naturalist" XVI, p.604-605.
* Osborn and Earle (1895), "Fossil mammals of the Puerco beds." Collection of 1892. "Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist." VII, p.1-70, with 21 figs.
* Granger and Simpson (1929), "A revision of the Tertiary Multituberculata." "Bulletin Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist." 56, p.601-676, 43 figs.
* Simons N.B. (1986), "Taeniolabis" Cope, 1882 (Mammalia, Multituberculata): proposed designation of "Polymastodon taoensis" Cope, 1882 as type species." "Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature" 43(3), p.310-311.
* Kielan-Jaworowska Z. and Hurum J.H. (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". "Paleontology" 44, p.389-429.
* Cope (1882), "Mammalia in the Laramie Formation'." "American Naturalist" 16, p.830-831.
* Much of this information is derived from [http://home.arcor.de/ktdykes/taenio.htm] MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Eucosmodontidae, Microcosmodontidae and Taeniolabidoidea, an Internet directory.
* Simmons (1987), "A revision of "Taeniolabis"(Mammalia: Multituberculata), with a new species from the Puercan of eastern Montana." "J. of Paleont." 61(4), p.794-808.