Ptilodontidae

Ptilodontidae Temporal range: Late Cretaceous - Paleocene
Skull of Ptilodus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Multituberculata
Suborder:	Cimolodonta
Superfamily:	Ptilodontoidea
Family:	Ptilodontidae Cope, 1887
Genera
Baiotomeus Kimbetohia Prochetodon Ptilodus

Ptilodontidae is a family of mammals within the extinct order Multituberculata. Representatives are known from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene of North America.

The Ptilodontidae family was originally named Ptilodontinae and classified as a subfamily by Edward Drinker Cope in 1887. It was amended by Gregory and Simpson in 1926 to its current status.

In addition, Cope mistakenly classified the Ptilodus genus as a marsupial. He originally named it Chirox, and placed it in the new family Chirogidae in 1887. Since it has been reclassifed, and Chirogidae is now officially a synonym of Ptilodontidae.

References

• Edward Drinker Cope (1887) "The marsupial genus Chirox", American Naturalist 21, pg. 566-567.
• Kielan-Jaworowska, Z. & Hurum, J.H. (2001) "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals", Paleontology 44, pg. 389-429.
• Much of this information has been derived from Mesozoic Mammals: Ptilodontoidea, an Internet directory.