SUBORDER CIMOLODONTA
Cimolodonta McKenna, 1975 is a suborder within Multituberculata. It appears to represent one
ancestor and all of its descendants. For this reason, it's termed monophyletic. Its members are the
more derived multis.
The suborder is first known from the Lower Cretaceous, and it extended until the Eocene. So far,
cimolodontans are restricted to the northern hemisphere.
Paracimexomys group
This informal collection contains both the earliest and most basal cimolodontans. The molars show
similarities with the "plagiaulacid" families Plagiaulacidae and Eobaataridae. They're known from the
Lower to Upper Cretaceous of North America. A European genus, Barbatodon, was tentatively
referred here. However, this was reassigned to Kogaionidae, (below).
Paracimexomys, Bryceomys, Dakotamys, and (tentatively) Cimexomys. Cedaromys may or
may not belong somewhere near here.
Superfamily: Djadochtatherioidea:
Some members of this group are extremely well-preserved. All known remains have been recovered
from the Upper Cretaceous of Asia. The previous, tentative inclusion of the North American genus,
Pentacosmodon, is doubtful. It's possibly a member of Microcosmodontidae, (below). All
Mongolian Upper Cretaceous multis, apart from Buginbaatar, (Cimolomyidae? below), are within
this taxon.
Family: Sloanbaataridae:
Sloanbaatar, Nessovbaatar and perhaps Kamptobaatar.
Family: Djadochtatheriidae:
Djadochtatherium, Catopsbaatar, Kryptobaatar, Tombaatar
Other genera within Djadochtatherioidea:
Chulsanbaatar, Nemegtbaatar
Placement uncertain:
Family: Eucosmodontidae:
Eucosmodontids are known largely from teeth. Their placement within Cimiolodonta is not clear.
They range from the Upper Cretaceous - Lower Eocene of North America, and the Lower Paleocene
- Lower Eocene of Europe.
Eucosmodon, Stygimys and perhaps Clemensodon
Family: Microcosmodontidae:
Also hard to place are the microcosmodontids. Unsurprisingly, they were micro. They're known
from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene of North America.
Microcosmodon, Pentacosmodon and perhaps Acheronodon
Superfamily: Taeniolabidoidea:
This taxon is presently restricted to a single family. Remains are known from the Upper Cretaceous
and Paleocene of North America and Asia. This group includes the largest known multis.
Taeniolabis is the recordholder. It was something like beaver-big.
Family: Taeniolabididae:
Taeniolabis, Catopsalis, Lambdopsalis, Prionessus, Sphenopsalis
Placement uncertain:
Family: Kogaionidae:
Kogaionids are European multis of the Upper Cretaceous - Paleocene. Where known, the skull is
reminiscent of the taeniolabidids. However, the snout is longer and the teeth are different. On-going
excavations in Romania have been yielding more material.
Kogaionon, Barbatodon, Hainina
Superfamily: Ptilodontoidea:
Some of these genera boast a great many species, though remains are generally sparse. Ptilodus is
amongst the best known, and there's a tendency to depict it as an analogue of a squirrel. Upper
Cretaceous remains are known from North America and Europe. (Details about the Europeans
would be welcome.) Later representatives, (Paleocene - Eocene), hail from North America, Europe
and Asia.
Family: Neoplagiaulacidae:
Neoplagiaulax, Cernaysia, Ectypodus, Krauseia, Mesodma, Mesodmops, Mimetodon,
Parectypodus, Xanclomys, Xyronomys
Family: Ptilodontidae:
Ptilodus, Baiotomeus, Kimbetohia, Prochetodon
Family: Cimolodontidae:
?Cimolodon, Anconodon, Liotomus
Placement somewhere within Ptilodontoidea:
Of uncertain affinities. I've let it lodge with the neoplagiaulacids, but this is of no significance.
Neoliotomus
Placement uncertain:
Family: Cimolomyidae:
These critters share dental characteristics with various groups of multis, but there are also significant
differences. That's why they're hard to place. They're restricted to the Upper Cretaceous of North
America and (possibly) Asia.
Cimolomys, Meniscoessus (and possibly) Essonodon, Buginbaatar
Family: Boffidae:
A monotypic family based on isolated teeth from the Paleocene of Belgium.
Boffius
Further genera:
More precise placement of these types awaits further discoveries and analysis.
Uzbekbaatar and Viridomys
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