Lesmesodon
Extinct genus of mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lesmesodon ("tooth from Messel") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct clade Proviverrinae within extinct superfamily Hyaenodontoidea (in extinct order Hyaenodonta), that lived during the Early to Middle Eocene.[4] It was found in France[3] and in the Messel Pit in Germany.
| Lesmesodon Temporal range: Early to Middle Eocene | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fossil of Lesmesodon edingeri | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Hyaenodonta |
| Superfamily: | †Hyaenodontoidea |
| Clade: | †Proviverrinae |
| Genus: | †Lesmesodon Morlo & Habersetzer, 1999 |
| Type species | |
| †Lesmesodon edingeri Springhorn, 1982 | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
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synonyms of species:
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Description
Lesmesodon was a weasel-sized mammal.[5]
Palaeobiology
Palaeoecology
Lesmesodon has a chewing cycle and pattern of tooth occlusion similar to modern insectivorous predators, and was most likely also an insectivore.[6]
Life history
As it grew, Lesmesodon replaced its dP2 after the eruption of its M1 and M2, which is the ancestral condition in Hyaenodonta.[7]
