Gondtherium

Gondtherium
Temporal range: 167.3–127.2 Ma Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Therapsida
Clade: Cynodontia
Clade: Mammaliaformes
Genus: Gondtherium
Prasad and Manhas, 2007[1]
Species:
G. dattai
Binomial name
Gondtherium dattai
Prasad and Manhas, 2007[1]

Gondtherium is a genus of extinct mammaliaform from the Kota Formation in India. It was considered a docodontan by those who described it, but it remains unclear if this is the case.

Gondtherium was found in the Kota Formation, which is considered to be between Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous in age.[1] Other Mesozoic mammaliaforms found there include members of Morganucodonta and Amphilestidae. The authors who described Gondtherium - which is known from only a single worn and fragmentary molar tooth - considered it to be a docodontan based on the tooth cusps.[1] However, this has been disputed by several subsequent researchers, and so the exact identity of Gondtherium remains unresolved.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Prasad GVR, and Manhas BK. 2007. A new docodont mammal from the Jurassic Kota Formation of India.[dead link] Palaeontologia electronica, 10.2: 1-11
  2. ^ Kielan-Jaworowska Z, Cifelli RL, and Luo, Z-X. 2004. Mammals from the age of dinosaurs: origins evolution and structure. Columbia University Press, New York, NY, 630 pp