Maastrichtidelphys

Maastrichtidelphys; Temporal range: Maastrichtian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Family:	†Herpetotheriidae
Genus:	†Maastrichtidelphys; (Martin et al., 2005)[1]
Species:	†M. meurismeti
Binomial name
	†Maastrichtidelphys meurismeti; (Martin et al., 2005)[1]

Maastrichtidelphys is a Late Cretaceous genus of metatherian (marsupial lineage) mammal from the Netherlands in Europe.[1] The genus contains a single species, M. meurismeti. It is known from an extremely small right upper molar, and analysis of it suggests that Maastrichtidelphys is most closely related to the North American herpetotheriid marsupial, Nortedelphys, which is Lancian in age.

Maastrichtidelphys belongs to a group of mammals with their origins in North America, the Herpetotheriidae. The presence of Maastrichtidelphys in Europe in the Late Cretaceous shows there was a high-latitude North Atlantic dispersal route between North America and Europe for marsupials, which suggests they spread across Europe at least 10 million years earlier than previously thought.[1]

References

Martin, J.E., Case, J.A., Jagt, J.W., Schulp, A.S. and Mulder, E.W., 2005. A new European marsupial indicates a Late Cretaceous high-latitude transatlantic dispersal route. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 12(3-4), pp.495-511.

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[Martin2005-1] Martin, J.E., Case, J.A., Jagt, J.W., Schulp, A.S. and Mulder, E.W., 2005. A new European marsupial indicates a Late Cretaceous high-latitude transatlantic dispersal route. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 12(3-4), pp.495-511.