Paulchoffatiidae

Paulchoffatiidae is a family of extinct mammals that lived predominantly during the Upper Jurassic period, though a couple of genera are known from the Early Cretaceous. Fossils have been reported from Europe (Portugal, Spain, Germany and England) . Paulchoffatiids were members of the order Multituberculata. They were relatively early representatives and are within the informal suborder of "Plagiaulacida". The family was named by G. Hahn in 1969, and it honors the Portuguese geologist Léon Paul Choffat. Two subfamilies are recognized.

Paulchoffatiidae
Temporal range:
Drawing of the skull of Paulchoffatia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: †Multituberculata
Suborder: †Plagiaulacida
Family: †Paulchoffatiidae
Hahn, 1969
Genera

The most productive fossil site for Paulchoffatiids has been Guimarota, Portugal. Remains from this locality are generally diagnosed on the basis of lower or upper jaws. In only one instance, that of Kuehneodon, has it been possible to match the two up. Some of the lower jaws probably represent the same animals as some of the upper, so the diversity of Paulchoffatiids is very possibly exaggerated. As the site is now a flooded, disused coalmine, further excavations are highly unlikely. However, other locations may yet provide more clarity.

The Paulchoffatiids have been further arranged into two subfamilies and a couple of other genera.

Rugosodon from the Middle Jurassic of China, known from a mostly complete skeleton, was formerly referred to the family,[1] but was later considered an indeterminate member of the Paulchoffatiid-line.[2]

Subfamily Paulchoffatiinae

Paulchoffatia, Bathmochoffatia, Guimarotodon, Henkelodon, Kielanodon, Meketibolodon, Meketichoffatia, Plesiochoffatia, Pseudobolodon, Galveodon, Sunnyodon, Xenachoffatia

Subfamily Kuehneodontinae

This taxon is restricted to one genus, Kuehneodon, with seven species.

Taxonomy

Subclass †Allotheria Marsh, 1880

References
  1. Yuan, Chong-Xi; Ji, Qiang; Meng, Qing-Jin; Tabrum, Alan R.; Luo, Zhe-Xi (2013-08-16). "Earliest Evolution of Multituberculate Mammals Revealed by a New Jurassic Fossil". Science. 341 (6147): 779–783. doi:10.1126/science.1237970. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 23950536. S2CID 25885140.
  2. Martin, Thomas; O. Averianov, Alexander; A. Schultz, Julia; H. Schwermann, Achim; Wings, Oliver (2019-08-07). "Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates". Historical Biology. 33 (5): 616–629. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1650274. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 201201555.
  • Hahn G. and Hahn R. (2000), Multituberculates from the Guimarota mine, p. 97-107 in Martin T. and Krebs B. (eds), Guimarota - A Jurassic Ecosystem, Published by Dr Friedrich Pfeil in Münich, Germany.
  • Kielan-Jaworowska Z. and Hurum J.H. (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". Paleontology 44, p. 389-429.
  • Much of this information has been derived from MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Basal Multituberculata, an Internet directory.
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