Meridiolestida

Meridiolestida Temporal range: Turonian–Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Life restoration of Cronopio
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	Trechnotheria
Clade:	Cladotheria
Superorder:	†Dryolestoidea
Order:	†Dryolestida
Clade:	†Meridiolestida Rougier, 2011
Subgroups
See text

Meridiolestida is an extinct clade of cladotherian mammals from South America, Antarctica,^[1] and possibly North America.^[2] They represented the dominant group of mammals in South America during the Late Cretaceous.^[3] They are generally classified within Dryolestida, barring one study recovering them as the sister taxa to spalacotheriid symmetrodonts.^[4] However, more recent studies have stuck to the dryolestoid interpretation.^[5][6] They differ from northern dryolestoids in the absence of a parastylar hook on the molariform teeth and the lack of a Meckelian groove. The latest surviving member is the mole-like Necrolestes, known from the Miocene of Patagonia.^[7]

Taxa[]

• †Meridiolestida
  • †Cronopio
  • †?^[2]
  • †Leonardus
  • †Necrolestes^[8]
  • †Austrotriconodontidae
    • †Austrotriconodon
  • †Brandoniidae
    • †
    • †
    • †
    • †
    • †
  • †Donodontidae
    • †Donodon
  • †Mesungulatoidea
    • †Mesungulatidae
      • †Coloniatherium
      • †
      • †Orretherium
      • †
      • †
    • †Peligrotheriidae
      • †Peligrotherium
    • †Reigitheriidae
      • †Reigitherium

References[]