Epoicotheriidae

Epoicotheriidae
Temporal range: 55.4–33.9 Ma
Eocene-Oligocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pholidota
Suborder: Palaeanodonta
Family: Epoicotheriidae
Simpson 1927
Genera[1]

Alocodontulum
Auroratherium
Dipassalus
Epoicotherium
Tetrapassalus
Tubulodon
Xenocranium

Epoicotheriidae is an extinct family of pangolin-like insectivore mammals which were endemic to North America from the Eocene to the Oligocene 55.4—33.9 Ma existing for approximately 21.5 million years.[1] Epoicotheriids were highly specialized animals that were convergent with the golden moles of Africa in the structure of their skulls and forelimbs, and would have had a similar lifestyle as subterranean burrowers.

Taxonomy

Epoicotheriidae was named by Simpson in (1927). It was assigned to the Palaeanodonta by Rose (1978)[2] and Carroll (1988)

References

  1. 1 2 "Classification of the family Epoicotheriidae". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  2. Rose, Kenneth D. (1978). "A New Paleocene Epoicotheriid (Mammalia), with Comments on the Palaeanodonta". Journal of Paleontology. 52 (3): 658–674. JSTOR 1303970.
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