Ptilodus
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Ptilodus Temporal range: Early Paleocene–Late Paleocene |
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| Skull of Ptilodus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Multituberculata |
| Family: | Ptilodontidae |
| Genus: |
Ptilodus Cope, 1881 |
| Species | |
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P. fractus |
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P. fractus
P. gnomus
P. kummae
P. mediaevus
P. montanus
P. tsosiensis
P. wyomingensis
Ptilodus is a genus of mammals from the extinct order of Multituberculata, and lived during the Paleocene in North America.
Ptilodus was a relatively large multituberculate of 30 to 50 centimetres (12 to 20 in) in length, which is about the same size as a squirrel. Its feet, legs and long tail suggest it was a good climber, so it very possibly led a squirrel-like lifestyle.
The genus was named by paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1881. Cope also mistakenly assigned some material belonging to this genus to Chirox in 1884. Elements from Ectypodus (Jepsen, 1940) and Neoplagiaulax have also been reassigned to this genus.
There are seven species, and others have been proposed at one time or another. P. nellieae (Bell, 1941) is apparently mentioned in a manuscript, rather than a publication. P. sinclairi (Simpson, 1935) seems to have become Parectypodus sinclairi. In botany, Ptilodus pyramidatus is an extinct Australian plant.
The species Ptilodus fractus had a body weight of about 95 grams (3.4 oz). Remains have been found in Wyoming, in the United States, in Dell Creek deposits dated to the Tiffanian stage of the Paleocene.
The species was named by J. A. Door in 1952 (Scott et al., 2002, Dorr, 1952), though it may have been amended to its current state by David Krause in 1987.
Ptilodus gnomus is the smallest known member of the genus. Hence, the species epithet 'gnomus', which is New Latin for 'dwarf'. Remains have been discovered in Wyoming in the United States, and Alberta, Canada. They were recovered from the Cochrane 2 deposits of the Paskapoo Formation, which have been dated to the Tiffanian stage of the Paleocene.
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