Dakotamys
Encyclopedia
Dakotamys is a genus
of extinct mammal
that lived during the Upper Cretaceous
. It shared the world with dinosaur
s. This small creature was a member of the also extinct order Multituberculata
within the suborder Cimolodonta
and was a member of the Paracimexomys group
.
The genus Dakotamys ("Dakota mouse") was named by Eaton J.G. in 1995. Dakota refers to the Dakota Formation. It's a geological term rather than a geographical one. "Paracimexomys
and Dakotamys... resemble the Eobaataridae
in the structure of the upper and lower molars, with cusps showing a tendency to coalesce, and with ornamentation of grooves and ribs on the molars," (Kielan-Jaworowska & Hurum, 2001, p.403).
Species: Dakotamys malcomi Eaton JG, 1995
Place: Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous)-age strata
of the Dakota Formation, Utah
.
This species would have weighed perhaps 25 g. The type specimen is in Oklahoma
. Some material from Utah has subsequently been reassigned to a different genus, Cedaromys (Eaton & Cifelli 2001.). "Dakotamys" Tedrow & Korth, 1997 was a description of fossil rodents, which were subsequently renamed Dakotallomys. These two species, D. lillegraveni and D. pelycomyoides, really are from the south of the Dakota Formation, but are obviously not multituberculates.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of extinct mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
that lived during the Upper Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
. It shared the world with dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s. This small creature was a member of the also extinct order Multituberculata
Multituberculata
The Multituberculata were a group of rodent-like mammals that existed for approximately one hundred and twenty million years—the longest fossil history of any mammal lineage—but were eventually outcompeted by rodents, becoming extinct during the early Oligocene. At least 200 species are...
within the suborder Cimolodonta
Cimolodonta
The Cimolodonta are 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 ecological niche was assumed by true rodents...
and was a member of the Paracimexomys group
Paracimexomys group
The Paracimexomys group is a loose grade of extinct mammals which are known from the Lower Cretaceous and possibly through to the Paleocene of North America.They were members of an also extinct order called Multituberculata....
.
The genus Dakotamys ("Dakota mouse") was named by Eaton J.G. in 1995. Dakota refers to the Dakota Formation. It's a geological term rather than a geographical one. "Paracimexomys
Paracimexomys
Paracimexomys is a genus of extinct mammals in the also extinct Multituberculata order. Paracimexomys lived during the Cretaceous period. The few fossils remains come from North America. Some Romanian fossils were also tentatively assigned to this genus, though that classification now seems...
and Dakotamys... resemble the Eobaataridae
Eobaataridae
Eobaataridae is a family of fossil mammal within the order Multituberculata. Remains are known from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Asia. These herbivores thus lived during the Mesozoic era, also known as the "age of the dinosaurs". They were among the most derived representatives of the...
in the structure of the upper and lower molars, with cusps showing a tendency to coalesce, and with ornamentation of grooves and ribs on the molars," (Kielan-Jaworowska & Hurum, 2001, p.403).
Species: Dakotamys malcomi Eaton JG, 1995
Place: Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous)-age strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
of the Dakota Formation, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
This species would have weighed perhaps 25 g. The type specimen is in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Some material from Utah has subsequently been reassigned to a different genus, Cedaromys (Eaton & Cifelli 2001.). "Dakotamys" Tedrow & Korth, 1997 was a description of fossil rodents, which were subsequently renamed Dakotallomys. These two species, D. lillegraveni and D. pelycomyoides, really are from the south of the Dakota Formation, but are obviously not multituberculates.