Guimarotodon

Guimarotodon is an extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It made its living nibbling plants as great big, and small, dinosaurs roamed the world. (For the technically minded, suborder Plagiaulacida, family Paulchoffatiidae.)

Guimarotodon Temporal range: Late Jurassic
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Multituberculata
Family:	†Paulchoffatiidae
Genus:	†Guimarotodon Hahn, 1969
Species
G. leiriensis

Guimarotodon ("Guimarota tooth") Hahn G, 1969. "Guimarotodon Hahn 1969 exhibits a more slender Corpus mandibulae than either Paulchoffatia or Meketibolodon. The most conspicuous character of this genus is the morphology of the P3-4 and the M1.". The Corpus mandibulae is the part of the jaw below the tooth row. P3-4 are upper premolars, whilst M1 is an upper molar tooth.

"The incisor is relatively little curved and its root is of similar length as that of Meketibolodon and extends to underneath the posterior premolars." (Both quotations from Hahn & Hahn 2000, p. 105-106).

Guimarotodon leiriensis

Guimarotodon leiriensis is found in Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic) of Guimarota, Portugal. Classification is based on three lower jaws. The species name refers to the local town of Leiria.

References

• Hahn (1969), Beiträge zur Fauna der Grube Guimarota Nr. 3. Die Multituberculata. Paleontographica, A, 133, p. 1-100. (Contributions on the fauna of the Guimarota mine no. 3. The Multituberculates.)
• Hahn G & Hahn R (2000), Multituberculates from the Guimarota mine, p. 97-107 in Martin T & Krebs B (eds), Guimarota - A Jurassic Ecosystem, Verlag Dr Friedrich Pfeil, München.
• Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Hurum JH (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". Paleontology 44, p. 389-429.
• Much of this information has been derived from MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Basal Multituberculata, an internet directory.