Lonchidionoides

The teeth of L. trifurcatum were discovered from the 'Garet El Hemmam' locality in the Laghouat Province of northern Algeria, which is a part of the Tiout Formation and consist of 5 teeth.

The teeth from Brazil were previously described as ?Lonchidiidae in 2021.^[2] The available Brazilian Lonchidionoides material are essentially identical in morphology and size to L. trifurcatum, they remain in open nomenclature as L. sp., awaiting further specimens that would allow more precise taxonomy.The specimans consist of 9 teeth.^[1]

In 2026 Vullo et al., 2026 described Lonchidionoides as a new genus of Lonchidiid hybodonts and described 2 species one unnamed species from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil and L. trifurcatum from the Early-Late Cretaceous of Algeria. The etymology of Lonchidionodes derives from its similarity to the teeth of the namesake of its family Lonchidion itself. While the etymology of the species name of L. trifurcatum refers to the trident shape of the anterior teeth. ^[1]

L.trifructatum is diagnosed by the following features : marked disjunct monognathic heterodonty; gracile, trident-shaped anterior teeth and low-cusped, more massively built posterior teeth, lateral teeth showing an intermediate morphology with no labial protuberance, a narrow and rod-like shaped crown bas and an enameloid smooth and a tooth crown devoid of ornamentation.^[1]

The teeth are minute, most of the specimens measuring less than 1 mm in width. All the specimens consist of well-preserved crowns with no preserved roots. The basal face of the crown is depressed. Three main dental morphotypes can be distinguished. With morphotype 1 corresponding to anterior teeth, morphotype 2 corresponding to lateral teeth and morphotype 3 corresponding to posterior teeth (with the first prosterior tooth being adapted for crushing).^[1]