Mammal-like Tooth from the Upper Triassic of Poland

 Świło, M., Niedźwiedzki, G., and T. Sulej. 2013. Mammal-like tooth from the Upper Triassic of Poland. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica Accepted Manuscript doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4202/app.00016.2013.

Abstract - Triassic discoveries have extended the record of near-mammals (Mammaliaformes) back to the Norian, about 215 Ma, and reveal a significant diversity of Late Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) forms. We now add to this Late Triassic diversity a nearly complete double-rooted right lower molariform tooth (ZPAL V.33/734) from the Polish Upper Triassic that is significant because it comes from uppermost Norian–lower Rhaetian rocks and is the first discovery of a mammal-like tooth in the Mesozoic of Poland. The described tooth shows transitional dental morphology between advanced cynodonts and mammaliaforms and it appears to represent a basal mammaliaform (Hallautherium genus), probably belonging to Morganucodonta.

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