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Tritheledontidae Temporal range: Late Triassic to Early Jurassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Restoration of Pachygenelus monus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Clade:	Therapsida
Clade:	Cynodontia
Clade:	Prozostrodontia
Family:	†Tritheledontidae Broom, 1912
Genera
†Chaliminia †Diarthrognathus †Elliotherium †Irajatherium †Pachygenelus †Riograndia †Tritheledon

Tritheledontidae, the tritheledontids or ictidosaurs, is an extinct family of small to medium-sized (about 10 to 20 cm long) cynodonts. They were highly mammal-like, specialized cynodonts, although they still retained a few reptile-like anatomical traits. Tritheledontids were mainly carnivorous or insectivorous, though some species may have developed omnivory. Their skeletons show that they had a close relationship to mammals. Tritheledontids or their closest relatives may have given rise to the mammaliaforms. The tritheledontids were one of the longest lived non-mammalian therapsid lineages, living from the late Triassic to the Jurassic period. Tritheledontids became extinct in the Jurassic period, possibly due to competition with prehistoric mammals such as the eutriconodonts. They are known from finds in South America and South Africa, indicating that they may have lived only on the supercontinent of Gondwana. The family Tritheledontidae was named by South African paleontologist Robert Broom in 1912. The family is often misspelled "Trithelodontidae".

It is possible that tritheledontids had vibrissae, according to the PBS documentary, Your Inner Fish. A common ancestor of all therian mammals did so. It is possible that the development of the whisker sensory system played an important role in mammalian development, more generally.

Phylogeny

Cladogram after Ruta, Botha-Brink, Mitchell and Benton (2013):

See also

• Evolution of mammals

References

1. ^ "Family Trithelodontidae". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
2. Broom, R. (1912). "On a new type of cynodont from the Stormberg". Annals of the South African Museum. 7: 334–336.
3. "Your Inner Fish: Episode Guide". PBS. 2014. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021.
4. ^ Mitchinson, B.; Grant, R. A.; Arkley, K.; Rankov, V.; Perkon, I.; Prescott, T. J. (12 November 2011). "Active vibrissal sensing in rodents and marsupials". Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 366 (1581): 3037–3048. doi:10.1098/rstb.2011.0156. PMC 3172598. PMID 21969685.
5. Ruta, M.; Botha-Brink, J.; Mitchell, S. A.; Benton, M. J. (2013). "The radiation of cynodonts and the ground plan of mammalian morphological diversity". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 280 (1769): 20131865. doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.1865. PMC 3768321. PMID 23986112.

External links

• PBS YouTube animated video of a tritheledontid

v t e Cynodontia
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Synapsida Clade: Therapsida Clade: Eutheriodontia Synapsida see Synapsida Cynodontia see below↓
Cynodontia Cynodontia †Dvinia †Nanocynodon †Madysaurus †Uralocynodon †Charassognathidae Abdalodon Charassognathus Nshimbodon †Procynosuchidae Procynosuchus Sludica Epicynodontia †Bolotridon †Cynosaurus †Nanictosaurus †Nythosaurus †Platycraniellus †Thrinaxodon †Vetusodon †Galesauridae Galesaurus Progalesaurus Eucynodontia †Kataigidodon †Cynognathia see Cynognathia Probainognathia see below↓
Probainognathia Probainognathia †Agudotherium †Candelariodon †Charruodon †Lumkuia †Protheriodon †Tessellatia †Chiniquodontidae Aleodon Chiniquodon Cromptodon? Riojanodon †Probainognathidae Bonacynodon Probainognathus †Ecteniniidae Diegocanis Ecteninion Trucidocynodon Prozostrodontia †Alemoatherium †Deccanodon †Dromatherium †Inditherium †Microconodon †Polonodon †Pseudotriconodon †Rewaconodon †Santacruzgnathus †Therioherpeton †Tricuspes †Prozostrodontidae Prozostrodon Pseudotherium †Tritheledontidae Chaliminia Diarthrognathus Elliotherium Irajatherium Pachygenelus Riograndia? Tritheledon Mammaliamorpha †Adelobasileus †Botucaraitherium †Brasilodon †Sinoconodon †Tikiodon †Tritylodontidae Bienotherium Bienotheroides Bocatherium Dianzhongia Dinnebitodon Fossiomanus Kayentatherium Lufengia Montirictus Nuurtherium Oligokyphus Polistodon Shartegodon Stereognathus Tritylodon Xenocretosuchus Yuanotherium Yunnanodon Mammaliaformes see below↓
Mammaliaformes Mammaliaformes †Bocaconodon †Brachyzostrodon †Bridetherium †Cherwellia †Cifellilestes †Delsatia †Dianoconodon †Dinnetherium †Dyskritodon †Eozostrodon †Erythrotherium †Gondwanadon †Hadrocodium †Hallautherium †Helvetiodon †Indotherium †Indozostrodon †Megazostrodon †Morganucodon †Paceyodon †Paikasigudodon †Purbeckodon †Rosierodon †Sinoconodon? †Storchodon †Stylidens †Wareolestes †Woutersia †Kuehneotheriidae Fluctuodon Kotatherium Kuehneon Kuehneotherium †Shuotheriidae Feredocodon Itatodon? Paritatodon? Pseudotribos Shuotherium †Docodonta Agilodocodon Borealestes Castorocauda Cyrtlatherium Dobunnodon Docodon Docofossor Dsungarodon Ergetiis Gondtherium? Haldanodon Hutegotherium Itatodon? Khorotherium Krusatodon Microdocodon Paritatodon? Peraiocynodon Sibirotherium Simpsonodon Tashkumyrodon Tegotherium †Haramiyida Avashishta? Hypsiprymnopsis? Haramiyavia Kalaallitkigun Kollikodon? Mojo? Theroteinus Thomasia Euharamiyida Allostaffia? Arboroharamiya Baidabatyr? Butlerodon Cryoharamiya Kermackodon? Maiopatagium Megaconus? Qishou Sharypovoia Shenshou Sineleutherus Vilevolodon Woodeatonia Xianshou Gondwanatheria? Hahnodontidae? Cifelliodon Denisodon Hahnodon Crown-Mammalia see Mammalia
See also Incertae sedis †Cistecynodon †Eoraetia †Gaumia †"Hahnia" †Kunminia †Lepagia †Meurthodon †Mitredon †Panchetocynodon †Redondagnathus †Saurodesmus? Paraphyletic / Polyphyletic groups Dromatheriidae Morganucodonta Symmetrodonta Triconodonta
Category

• Tritheledontidae
• Late Triassic first appearances
• Middle Jurassic extinctions
• Prehistoric therapsid families