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Paulchoffatiidae

Extinct family of mammals

Summary

Extinct family of mammals

Bathmochoffatia
Cimbriodon
Guimarotodon
Henkelodon
Kielanodon
Meketibolodon
Meketichoffatia
Plesiochoffatia
Pseudobolodon
Xenachoffatia
Kuehneodon
Galveodon
Sunnyodon

Paulchoffatiidae is a family of extinct mammals that lived predominantly during the Late Jurassic epoch, though a couple of genera are known from the Early Cretaceous. Fossils have been reported from Europe (Portugal, Spain, Germany, and England). Paulchoffatiids were members of the order Multituberculata. They were relatively early representatives and are within the informal suborder of "Plagiaulacida". The family was named by G. Hahn in 1969, and it honors the Portuguese geologist Léon Paul Choffat.

The most productive fossil site for Paulchoffatiids has been Guimarota, Portugal. Remains from this locality are generally diagnosed on the basis of lower or upper jaws. In only one instance, that of Kuehneodon, has it been possible to match the two up. Some of the lower jaws probably represent the same animals as some of the upper, so the diversity of Paulchoffatiids is very possibly exaggerated. As the site is now a flooded, disused coalmine, further excavations are highly unlikely. However, other locations may yet provide more clarity.

The Paulchoffatiids have been further arranged into two subfamilies and a couple of other genera.

Taxonomy

Two subfamilies of Paulchoffatiidae are recognised. One is known as Paulchoffatiinae. The other is known as Kuehneodontinae. The subfamily Paulchoffatiinae includes Paulchoffatia, Bathmochoffatia, Guimarotodon, Henkelodon, Kielanodon, Meketibolodon, Meketichoffatia, Plesiochoffatia, Pseudobolodon, Galveodon, Sunnyodon, and Xenachoffatia. The subfamily Kuehneodontinae, meanwhile, is a taxon restricted to one genus, Kuehneodon, with seven species. Rugosodon from the Middle Jurassic of China, known from a mostly complete skeleton, was formerly referred to the family, but was later considered an indeterminate member of the Paulchoffatiid-line.

Subclass †Allotheria Marsh, 1880

Order †Multituberculata Cope, 1884:
- Suborder †Plagiaulacida Simpson 1925
  - Family †Paulchoffatiidae Hahn, 1969
    - Subfamily †Paulchoffatiinae Hahn, 1971
      - Genus †Paulchoffatia Kühne, 1961
        
        Species †P. delgadoi Kühne, 1961
      - Genus †Pseudobolodon Hahn, 1977
        
        Species †P. oreas Hahn, 1977
        
        Species †P. krebsi Hahn & Hahn, 1994
      - Genus †Henkelodon Hahn, 1987
        
        Species †H. naias Hahn, 1987
      - Genus †Guimarotodon Hahn, 1969
        
        Species †G. leiriensis Hahn, 1969
      - Genus †Meketibolodon (Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993
        
        Species †M. robustus (Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993
      - Genus †Plesiochoffatia Hahn & Hahn, 1999
        
        Species †P. thoas Hahn & Hahn, 1998
        
        Species †P. peparethos Hahn & Hahn, 1998
        
        Species †P. staphylos Hahn & Hahn, 1998
      - Genus †Xenachoffatia Hahn & Hahn, 1998
        
        Species †X. oinopion Hahn & Hahn, 1998
      - Genus †Bathmochoffatia Hahn & Hahn, 1998
        
        Species †B. hapax Hahn & Hahn, 1998
      - Genus †Kielanodon Hahn, 1987
        
        Species †K. hopsoni Hahn, 1987
      - Genus †Meketichoffatia Hahn, 1993
        
        Species †M. krausei Hahn, 1993
      - Genus †Galveodon Hahn & Hahn, 1992
        
        Species †G. nannothus Hahn & Hahn, 1992
      - Genus †Sunnyodon Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992
        
        Species †S. notleyi Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992
    - Subfamily †Kuehneodontinae Hahn, 1971
      - Genus †Kuehneodon Hahn, 1969
        
        Species †K. dietrichi Hahn, 1969
        
        Species †K. barcasensis Hahn & Hahn, 2001
        
        Species †K. dryas Hahn, 1977
        
        Species †K. guimarotensis Hahn, 1969
        
        Species †K. hahni Antunes, 1988
        
        Species †K. simpsoni Hahn, 1969
        
        Species †K. uniradiculatus Hahn, 1978

Palaeobiology

Tooth occlusion in paulchoffatiids was inexact and imprecise compared to in other multituberculates, as indicated by dental microwear. Paulchoffatiid mastication occurred in two phases: a puncture-crushing cycle and a grinding cycle.

References

Hahn G. and Hahn R. (2000), Multituberculates from the Guimarota mine, p. 97-107 in Martin T. and Krebs B. (eds), Guimarota - A Jurassic Ecosystem, Published by Dr Friedrich Pfeil in Münich, Germany.
Kielan-Jaworowska Z. and Hurum J.H. (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". Paleontology 44, p. 389-429.
Much of this information has been derived from https://web.archive.org/web/20110514101729/http://home.arcor.de/ktdykes/plagiau.htm MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Basal Multituberculata, an Internet directory.

References

(November 1990). "Systematic position of the Paulchoffatiinae (Multituberculata, Mammalia)". [[Journal of Paleontology]].
(16 August 2013). "Earliest Evolution of Multituberculate Mammals Revealed by a New Jurassic Fossil". [[Science (journal).
(7 August 2019). "Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates". [[Historical Biology]].
(8 June 2010). "Occlusal Pattern in Paulchoffatiid Multituberculates and the Evolution of Cusp Morphology in Mammaliamorphs with Rodent-like Dentitions". [[Journal of Mammalian Evolution]].

Wikipedia Source

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multituberculata jurassic-first-appearances cretaceous-extinctions prehistoric-mammal-families fossil-taxa-described-in-1969

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