Asioryctitheria

Asioryctitheria Temporal range: 109–77 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Albian–Campanian[1]
Asioryctes nemegtensis skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Subclass:	Theria
Infraclass:	Eutheria
Order:	†Asioryctitheria Novacek et al., 1997
Genera
Asioryctes Kennalestes Sasayamamylos Ukhaatherium

Asioryctitheria ("Asian digging beasts") is an extinct order of early eutherians.

Skull structure[edit]

With the exception of Prokennalestes, these advanced forms lacked a Meckelian groove. Furthermore, they were equipped with double-rooted canines, a lower premolar with a reduced or absent metaconid and a more elongated lower premolar than their predecessors. In addition, the entoconid and hypoconulid on the lower molars are untwinned, the entotympanic is non-existent, the alisphenoid is enlarged, a Vidian foramen is present as well as a promontorium linked to the paroccipital process via the crista interfenestralis.

Classification[edit]

Asioryctitheria contains at least four genera and two families.^[2][3]

• Sasayamamylos kawaii Kusuhashi et al. 2013^{[citation needed]}
• Kennalestidae Kielan-Jaworowska 1981
  • Kennalestes gobiensis Kielan-Jaworowska 1981
• Asioryctidae Szalay 1977
  • Asioryctes nemegetensis Kielan-Jaworowska 1975
  • Ukhaatherium nesovi Novacek et al. 1997

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Richard L. Cifelli, and Zhe-Xi Luo, Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: Origins, Evolution, and Structure (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004), 499–501.

External links[edit]

• MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Basal Eutheria Two, an internet directory
• A eutherian mammal from the Early Cretaceous of Russia at Ingenta

This article about a Cretaceous mammal is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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