Tillodon
Extinct genus of mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tillodon is a genus of tillodont from Eocene North America.[1]
| Tillodon Temporal range:
Bridgerian | |
|---|---|
| |
| Skull of T. fodiens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Tillodontia |
| Family: | †Esthonychidae |
| Subfamily: | †Trogosinae |
| Genus: | †Tillodon Gazin 1953 |
| Species | |
| |
Description
Tillodon had a large skull and teeth, with a deep and thick jaw. The molars are brachydont. The premaxilla of Tillodon makes up a majority of the skull's size.[2] Tillodon has been compared to rodents due to enlarged incisor teeth, which (alongside the related Trogosus) has caused the genus to be erroneously considered the ancestors of the rodents .[3]
Paleoecology
Tillodon is known from the lower Bridger formation, and lived alongside many artiodactyls, such as homacodonts, perissodactyls like the early brontothere Telmatherium, dinocerates like Uintatherium and early carnivorans like Uintacyon.[4]Tillodon most likely ate tubers and roots, much like other tillodonts.[5]