''Bisonalveus'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of shrew-like

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s that were presumably ground-dwelling and fed on plants and insects. ''Bisonalveus'' fossils have been discovered in the upper

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region of

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, including sites in modern-day

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, and

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. The fossils have been dated to 60 million years ago, during the Tiffanian North American Stage of the Palaeocene epoch. ''Bisonalveus'' is the last known genus of the Pentacodontinae sub-family to have arisen, replacing the genus '' Coriphagus'' in the early Tiffanian. ''Bisonalveus'' itself appears to have gone extinct by the middle Tiffanian. ''Bisonalveus'' is represented by two known species: ''B. browni'' (Gazin, 1956) and ''B. holtzmani'' (Gingerich, 1983).

''Bisonalveus browni''

''Bisonalveus browni'' was discovered in 1956 from fossilized jaw fragments (including molars). Later discovered fossils included front teeth and a dagger-like canine tooth with an enameled groove. The canines do not have a corresponding surface on the lower jaw, indicating that they were not used for chewing, but rather for stabbing. That would mean ''Bisonalveus'' was a predator, presumably hunting small insects. The grooves on the canines may have been used for delivering venomous saliva into the prey, which would thereby make ''Bisonalveus'' one of the few known venomous mammals. Perhaps, like the modern solenodon, ''Bisonalveus'' bit its victims to inject its toxic saliva and buried the immobilized prey in a cache for later consumption. However, because several nonvenomous mammals (such as baboons and other primates) have similar grooves on their teeth, some scientists have questioned whether these grooves truly indicate venom delivery. If ''Bisonalveus'' was a forager, the grooves might have served the purpose of introducing (nonvenomous) saliva for digestive reasons. Alternatively, the grooves might have been useful as they increased the amount of enamel on the canines, thereby strengthening these slender teeth.

''Bisonalveus holtzmani''

''Bisonalveus holtzmani'' is named for Dr. Richard Holtzman, who, in 1978, described the first tooth that was later determined to belong to this species. ''B. holtzmani'' can be distinguished from ''B. browni'' in that it is about 30% larger.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2258423 Cimolestans Paleocene mammals Paleocene genus extinctions Prehistoric mammals of North America Prehistoric mammal genera