Schowalteria
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Schowalteria Temporal range: Late Cretaceous 70–66 Ma |
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Fossil
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Cimolesta |
| Suborder: | †Taeniodonta |
| Genus: |
†Schowalteria R. C. Fox and B. G. Naylor. 2003 |
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Schowalteria is a genus of extinct mammal from the Cretaceous of Canada. It is the earliest known representative of Taeniodonta, a specialised lineage of non-placental eutherian mammals otherwise found in Paleocene and Eocene deposits. It is notable for its large size, being among the largest of Mesozoic mammals, as well as its speciation towards herbivory, which in some respects exceeds that of its later relatives.
Currently, Schowalteria is considered to be a monotypic genus, with only one species, S. clemensi. It is known from only one skull. Schowalteria shares some speciations with later taeniodonts, namely similar canine and incisor morphology, similar facial proportions and zygomatic arch construction, though unlike them its occlusal surface is worn nearly completely flat, and the wear facet completely encompasses the paracone and metacone, leaving only an outline of the buccal side of the bases of these cusps remaining, differing radically from the more "normal" teeth wearing patterns of other taenidonts. Based on the skull's proportions, it was initially comparared in size to Didelphodon vorax, making it one of the largest mammals of the Mesozoic at the time of its discovery, and posterior measurements have cited larger sizes; Anne Weil posits a range similar (though not confirmed) to Repenomamus giganticus, while posterior analysis showcase it to be as large as latter taeniodonts.
Schowalteria occurs in the Trochu deposits of Alberta, dating to the Maastrichtian stage of the Cretaceous period. This site is part of the larger Edmonton Group, that probably represented a warm, temperate environment. Mammal remains are very common in this site, such as various metatherians and multituberculates.
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