Andinodelphys
Extinct genus of mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andinodelphys is an extinct genus of non-marsupial stem metatherian.[1]
| Andinodelphys | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Subclass: | Theria |
| Clade: | Metatheria |
| Genus: | †Andinodelphys Marshall & Muizon, 1988 |
| Species: | †A. cochabambensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Andinodelphys cochabambensis Marshall & Muizon, 1988 | |
Details
Along with Pucadelphys and Mayulestes, it is the oldest known South American metatherian.[2] It is known best from five almost complete skulls, and associated skeletons, all from Tiupampa in Bolivia.[1] It is most similar to Pucadelphys and a clade of Pucadelphydae containing the two genera has been suggested. It was likely a gregarious animal, and a finding of six articulated and intertmingled skeletons has been used as evidence of social behavior being present in basal metatherians.[3]
