''Cimolodon'' is a genus of the extinct mammal order of

Multituberculata Multituberculata (commonly known as multituberculates, named for the multiple tubercles of their teeth) is an extinct order of rodent-like mammals with a fossil record spanning over 130 million years. They first appeared in the Middle Jurassic, a ...

within the suborder

Cimolodonta Cimolodonta is a taxon of extinct mammals that lived from the Cretaceous to the Eocene. They were some of the more derived members of the extinct order Multituberculata. They probably lived something of a rodent-like existence until their ...

and the family

Cimolodontidae Cimolodontidae is a family of fossil mammals within the extinct order Multituberculata. Representatives are known from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene of North America. The family Cimolodontidae was named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1889 a ...

. Specimens are known from the Late

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

of North America.

Systematics

The genus ''Cimolodon'' was named by

Othniel Charles Marsh Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 – March 18, 1899) was an American professor of Paleontology in Yale College and President of the National Academy of Sciences. He was one of the preeminent scientists in the field of paleontology. Among ...

in 1889. Kielan-Jaworowska & Hurum (2001) noted that ''Cimolodon'' seems to be more closely related to members of their "''Paracimexomys'' group than to other ptilodontoideans.

Species

''Cimolodon electus'' (Fox R.C. 1971) is known from the Upper

of the Upper Milk River Formation in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada. Possible finds have been reported from

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

. ''Cimolodon nitidus'' (Marsh O.C. 1889) is known from Late Cretaceous strata of the Lance Formation of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

and

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

(United States and Canada). Synonyms include ''Allacodon lentus'' (Marsh 1889); ''Allacodon rarus'' (Marsh 1892); '' Cimolomys bellus'' (Marsh 1889); ''Cimolomys digona'' (Marsh 1899); ''Cimolomys nitidus''; ''Halodon serratus'' (Marsh 1889); ''Nanomyops minitus'' (Marsh 1892); ''Nanomys minitus'' (Marsh 1889); and ''

Ptilodus ''Ptilodus'' (meaning "soft-haired") is a genus of mammals from the extinct order of Multituberculata, and lived during the Paleocene in North America. ''Ptilodus'' was a relatively large multituberculate of in length, which is about the same s ...

serratus'' (Gidley 1909). ''Cimolodon pervus'' (Marsh O.C. 1892) is also known from the Upper Cretaceous Lance Formation of Wyoming. A specimen referred to as ''C.'' cf. ''nitidus'' has been recovered from the

Prince Creek Formation The Prince Creek Formation is a geological formation in Alaska with strata dating to the Early Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel, David B; et a ...

. ''Cimolodon similis'' (Fox R.C. 1971) is known from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian-early Campanian) of Alberta and Utah. ''C. wardi'' is known from the Wahweap Formation of Utah.J. G. Eaton. 2006. Late Cretaceous mammals from Cedar Canyon, southwestern Utah. Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from the Western Interior. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 35:373-402 ''Cimolodon akersteni'' is known from the Cenomanian-age Wayan Formation of Idaho.

References

* Simpson (1929), "American Mesozoic Mammalia." ''Mem. Peabody Mus. Nat. Hist.'' iii (i), p. 1-235. {{Taxonbar, from=Q780915 Ptilodontoids Cretaceous mammals of North America Prehistoric mammals of North America Milk River Formation Prehistoric mammal genera