Paulchoffatiidae Explained

Paulchoffatiidae is a family of extinct mammals that lived predominantly during the Upper Jurassic period, though a couple of genera are known from the Early Cretaceous. Fossils have been reported from Europe (Portugal, Spain, Germany and England) . Paulchoffatiids were members of the order Multituberculata. They were relatively early representatives and are within the informal suborder of "Plagiaulacida". The family was named by G. Hahn in 1969, and it honors the Portuguese geologist Léon Paul Choffat. Two subfamilies are recognized.

The most productive fossil site for Paulchoffatiids has been Guimarota, Portugal. Remains from this locality are generally diagnosed on the basis of lower or upper jaws. In only one instance, that of Kuehneodon, has it been possible to match the two up. Some of the lower jaws probably represent the same animals as some of the upper, so the diversity of Paulchoffatiids is very possibly exaggerated. As the site is now a flooded, disused coalmine, further excavations are highly unlikely. However, other locations may yet provide more clarity.

The Paulchoffatiids have been further arranged into two subfamilies and a couple of other genera.

Rugosodon from the Middle Jurassic of China, known from a mostly complete skeleton, was formerly referred to the family,^[1] but was later considered an indeterminate member of the Paulchoffatiid-line.^[2]

Subfamily Paulchoffatiinae

Paulchoffatia, Bathmochoffatia, Guimarotodon, Henkelodon, Kielanodon, Meketibolodon, Meketichoffatia, Plesiochoffatia, Pseudobolodon, Galveodon, Sunnyodon, Xenachoffatia

Subfamily Kuehneodontinae

This taxon is restricted to one genus, Kuehneodon, with seven species.

Taxonomy

Subclass †Allotheria

Marsh, 1880

• Order †Multituberculata

Cope, 1884:

• • Suborder †Plagiaulacida

Simpson 1925

• • • Family †Paulchoffatiidae

Hahn, 1969Hahn, 1971

• • • • • Genus †Paulchoffatia

Kühne, 1961

• • • • • • Species †P. delgadoi

Kühne, 1961

• • • • • Genus †Pseudobolodon

Hahn, 1977

• • • • • • Species †P. oreas

Hahn, 1977

• • • • • • Species †P. krebsi

Hahn & Hahn, 1994

• • • • • Genus †Henkelodon

Hahn, 1987

• • • • • • Species †H. naias

Hahn, 1987

• • • • • Genus †Guimarotodon

Hahn, 1969

• • • • • • Species †G. leiriensis

Hahn, 1969

• • • • • Genus †Meketibolodon

(Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993

• • • • • • Species †M. robustus

(Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993

• • • • • Genus †Plesiochoffatia

Hahn & Hahn, 1999

• • • • • • Species †P. thoas

Hahn & Hahn, 1998

• • • • • • Species †P. peparethos

Hahn & Hahn, 1998

• • • • • • Species †P. staphylos

Hahn & Hahn, 1998

• • • • • Genus †Xenachoffatia

Hahn & Hahn, 1998

• • • • • • Species †X. oinopion

Hahn & Hahn, 1998

• • • • • Genus †Bathmochoffatia

Hahn & Hahn, 1998

• • • • • • Species †B. hapax

Hahn & Hahn, 1998

• • • • • Genus †Kielanodon

Hahn, 1987

• • • • • • Species †K. hopsoni

Hahn, 1987

• • • • • Genus †Meketichoffatia

Hahn, 1993

• • • • • • Species †M. krausei

Hahn, 1993

• • • • • Genus †Galveodon

Hahn & Hahn, 1992

• • • • • • Species †G. nannothus

Hahn & Hahn, 1992

• • • • • Genus †Sunnyodon

Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992

• • • • • • Species †S. notleyi

Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992

• • • • Subfamily †Kuehneodontinae

Hahn, 1971

• • • • • Genus †Kuehneodon

Hahn, 1969

• • • • • • Species †K. dietrichi

Hahn, 1969

• • • • • • Species †K. barcasensis

Hahn & Hahn, 2001

• • • • • • Species †K. dryas

Hahn, 1977

• • • • • • Species †K. guimarotensis

Hahn, 1969

• • • • • • Species †K. hahni

Antunes, 1988

• • • • • • Species †K. simpsoni

Hahn, 1969

• • • • • • Species †K. uniradiculatus

Hahn, 1978

References

• Hahn G. and Hahn R. (2000), Multituberculates from the Guimarota mine, p. 97-107 in Martin T. and Krebs B. (eds), Guimarota - A Jurassic Ecosystem, Published by Dr Friedrich Pfeil in Münich, Germany.
• Kielan-Jaworowska Z. and Hurum J.H. (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". Paleontology 44, p. 389-429.
• Much of this information has been derived from https://web.archive.org/web/20110514101729/http://home.arcor.de/ktdykes/plagiau.htm MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Basal Multituberculata, an Internet directory.

Notes and References

1. Yuan. Chong-Xi. Ji. Qiang. Meng. Qing-Jin. Tabrum. Alan R.. Luo. Zhe-Xi. 2013-08-16. Earliest Evolution of Multituberculate Mammals Revealed by a New Jurassic Fossil. Science. en. 341. 6147. 779–783. 10.1126/science.1237970. 23950536 . 25885140 . 0036-8075.
2. Martin. Thomas. O. Averianov. Alexander. A. Schultz. Julia. H. Schwermann. Achim. Wings. Oliver. 2019-08-07. Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates. Historical Biology. 33. 5. 616–629. 10.1080/08912963.2019.1650274. 201201555 . 0891-2963.