Plagiaulacida Explained

Plagiaulacida is a group of extinct multituberculate mammals. Multituberculates were among the most common mammals of the Mesozoic, "the age of the dinosaurs". Plagiaulacids are a paraphyletic grouping, containing all multituberculates that lie outside of the advanced group Cimolodonta. They ranged from the Middle Jurassic Period to the early Late Cretaceous of the northern hemisphere. During the Cenomanian, they were replaced by the more advanced cimolodontans.^[1]

Kielan-Jaworowska and Hurum (2001) divides “Plagiaulacida” into three informal lineages, the paulchoffatiids, the plagiaulicids, and the allodontids.

Allodontid line

The Allodontid line may be a superfamily, Allodontoidea.

Both allodontids and paulchoffatiids (below) were among the most basal of the plagiaulacids. The Allodontid line contains:

The family Allodontidae is known from two genera from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of North America.

The family Zofiabaataridae contains a single genus, Zofiabaatar and is also from the Morrison Formation. The affinities of a further Morrison Formation genus, Glirodon, are unclear, but it's also within the Allodontid line.

Paulchoffatiid line

The Paulchoffatiid line may be a superfamily, Paulchoffatioidea.

Some remains from the Middle Jurassic of England might belong within this group. Representatives are best known from the Upper Jurassic, (especially from Guimarota, Portugal), though some were still extant during the Lower Cretaceous.

The genera of the family Paulchoffatiidae are divided into two of subfamilies, plus a couple of harder-to-place individuals:

• Subfamily Paulchoffatiinae includes Paulchoffatia and its relatives. This taxon contains nine genera.
• Subfamily Kuehneodontinae consists solely of the genus Kuehneodon, though there are half-a-dozen named species.

Other genera include Galveodon and Sunnyodon, both based on teeth from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain and England respectively.

Also referable to the paulchoffatiid line, but not the family itself, is the family Pinheirodontidae, which is known from Early Cretaceous teeth found in Iberia and England. As well as Rugosodon from the Middle-Late Jurassic of China.

Plagiaulacid line (possibly Superfamily Plagiaulacoidea)

Family Plagiaulacidae is known from the Upper Jurassic (North America) to Lower Cretaceous (Europe), being represented by Plagiaulax, Bolodon, and Morrisonodon.

Family Albionbaataridae is known from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Asia, (China – undescribed, 2001). These were shrew-sized Multituberculates, with some similarities to the paulchoffis.

Members of the family Eobaataridae display dental similarities with members of Paracimexomys group, (Cimolodonta). They are known from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Asia.

Sinobaatar was described after the study by Kielan-Jaworowska and Hurum (2001). The Mongolian word ‘baatar’ is frequently employed in the nomenclature of Multituberculates. This reflects the fact that many of the most complete fossils have been recovered from sites in Mongolia, though this more applies to members of the more derived Cimolodonta.

A couple of further genera possibly fit somewhere within “Plagiaulacida”. This has been tentatively proposed for Janumys of the Middle Cretaceous. Its contemporary, Ameribaatar, is of uncertain affinities. Both were first described late in 2001.

Taxonomy

Subclass †Allotheria

• Order †Multituberculata :
  • suborder †Plagiaulacida
    • • • • • • • • • • Family †Paulchoffatiidae subfamily †Paulchoffatiinae Genus †Paulchoffatia
          • Species †P. delgador
        • Genus †Pseudobolodon
          • Species †P. oreas
          • Species †P. krebsi
        • Genus †Henkelodon
          • Species †H. naias
        • Genus †Guimarotodon
          • Species †G. leiriensis
        • Genus †Meketibolodon
          • Species †M. robustus
        • Genus †Plesiochoffatia
          • Species †P. thoas
          • Species †P. peparethos
          • Species †P. staphylos
        • Genus †Xenachoffatia
          • Species †X. oinopion
        • Genus †Bathmochoffatia
          • Species †B. hapax
        • Genus †Kielanodon
          • Species †K. hopsoni
        • Genus †Meketichoffatia
          • Species †M. krausei
        • Genus †Galveodon
          • Species †G. nannothus
        • Genus †Sunnyodon
          • Species †S. notleyi
      • Subfamily †Kuehneodontinae
        • Genus †Kuehneodon
          • Species †K. dietrichi
          • Species †K. barcasensis
          • Species †K. dryas
          • Species †K. guimarotensis
          • Species †K. hahni
          • Species †K. simpsoni
          • Species †K. uniradiculatus
            • • • Family †Pinheirodontidae Genus †Pinheirodon
          • Species †P. pygmaeus
          • Species †P. vastus
        • Genus †Bernardodon
          • Species †B. atlantica
        • Genus †Gerhardodon
          • Species †G. purbeckensis
        • Genus †Iberodon
          • Species †I. quadrituberculatus
        • Genus †Lavocatia
          • Species †L. alfambrensis
        • Genus †Ecprepaulax
          • Species †E. anomala
            • • • Family †Allodontidae Genus †Ctenacodon
          • Species †C. serratus
          • Species †C. nanus
          • Species †C. laticeps
          • Species †C. scindens
        • Genus †Psalodon
          • Species †P. potens
          • Species †P. fortis
          • Species †P. marshi
            • • • Family †Zofiabaataridae Genus †Zofiabaatar
          • Species †Z. pulcher
      • Family Incertae sedis
        • Genus †Glirodon
        • Species †G. grandis
          • • • • Family †Plagiaulacidae Genus †Morrisonodon
          • Species †M. brentbaatar
        • Genus †Plagiaulax
          • Species †P. becklesii
        • Genus †Bolodon
          • Species †B. crassidens
          • Species †B. falconeri
          • Species †B. minor
          • Species †B. osborni
          • Species †B. elongatus
            • • • Family †Eobaataridae Genus †Eobaatar
          • Species †E. magnus
          • Species †E. minor
          • Species †E. hispanicus
          • Species †E. pajaronensis
        • Genus †Loxaulax
          • Species †L. valdensis
        • Genus †Monobaatar
          • Species †M. mimicus
        • Genus †Parendotherium
          • Species †Parendotherium herreroi
        • Genus †Sinobaatar
          • Species †Sinobaatar lingyuanensis
        • Genus †Heishanobaatar
          • Species †H. triangulus
        • Genus †Teutonodon
          • Species †Teutonodon langenbergensis
            • • • Family †Albionbaataridae Genus †Albionbaatar
          • Species †A. denisae
        • Genus †Proalbionbaatar
          • Species †P. plagiocyrtus
            • • • • • Genus †Kielanobaatar Species †K. badaohaoensis
                • Family †Arginbaataridae Genus †Arginbaatar
          • Species †Arginbaatar dmitrievae

References

• Hahn G & Hahn R (2000), Multituberculates from the Guimarota mine, p. 97-107 in
• Martin T & Krebs B (eds), Guimarota - A Jurassic Ecosystem, Published by Dr Friedrich Pfeil, Münich, Germany.
• Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Hurum JH (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/20091228041258/http://home.arcor.de/ktdykes/multis.htm Multituberculata Cope, 1884.

Notes and References

1. Weaver. Lucas N.. Wilson. Gregory P.. Krumenacker. L. J.. Mclaughlin. Kayla. Moore. Jason R.. Varricchio. David J.. 2019-03-04. New multituberculate mammals from the mid-Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) Wayan Formation of southeastern Idaho and implications for the early evolution of Cimolodonta. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. en. 39. 2. e1604532. 10.1080/02724634.2019.1604532. 196655261. 0272-4634.