Taeniodont
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Extinct (fossil)
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The taeniodonts were an early group of mammals who lived from the Palaeocene to the Eocene. This group evolved quickly into highly specialized digging animals. Taeniodont species varied greatly in size, from rat-sized to species as large as a bear. Later species developed prominent front teeth and huge claws for digging and rooting. Some species, like Stylinodon, had ever-growing teeth.
Only one family belongs to this order, the stylinodontids. They never spread out from North America. The scarcity of taeniodont fossils can be explained by the fact that these animals probably lived in the drier parts of the continent where fossilization was less frequent.
[edit] References
- Cox, Barry; Savage, R.J.G.; Gardiner, Brian; Dixon, Dougal (1988). "Early rooters and browsers", Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. Macmillan London Limited, 237. ISBN 0-333-48699-4.
- Paleocene mammals of the world. Retrieved on November 7, 2005.
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