Kollikodon
Encyclopedia
Kollikodon ritchiei is a fossil
monotreme
species
. It is known only from an opalised dentary fragment, with one premolar
and two molar
s in situ
. The fossil
was found at Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia, as was Steropodon
.
Kollikodon lived in the lower Cretaceous
period, during the middle Albian
age (100–104 million years ago).
Like Steropodon, Kollikodon was a relatively large mammal for the Mesozoic
. The molars have a length of around 5.5 mm and a width of between about 4 and 6 mm (Clemens et al., 2003). Based upon these data, the potential body length could be up to a metre. Assuming the accuracy of such a guess, Kollikodon would be a contender for the largest Mesozoic
mammal known, along with other possible giants such as Repenomamus
, Schowalteria, and Bubodens.
Aside from its size, it is difficult to say what Kollikodon looked like. However, it may have been at least partly aquatic
, as its strange teeth would work well for crushing shellfish
.
Both Kollikodon and Steropodon
can be found at the Australian Museum
in Sydney
, along with Eric, the opal
ised pliosaur
.
word for a bread roll. The strange teeth of Kollikodon, when seen from above, resemble hot cross bun
s, traditionally toasted and eaten on Good Friday
. Originally, Dr Mike Archer wanted to name it "Hotcrossbunodon", but met disapproval from his associates.
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
monotreme
Monotreme
Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. It is known only from an opalised dentary fragment, with one premolar
Premolar
The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or...
and two molar
Molar (tooth)
Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
s in situ
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
. The fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
was found at Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia, as was Steropodon
Steropodon
Steropodon galmani was a prehistoric species of monotreme, or egg-laying mammal, that lived during the middle Albian stage, in the Lower Cretaceous period...
.
Kollikodon lived in the lower Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period, during the middle Albian
Albian
The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 99.6 ± 0.9 Ma...
age (100–104 million years ago).
Like Steropodon, Kollikodon was a relatively large mammal for the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
. The molars have a length of around 5.5 mm and a width of between about 4 and 6 mm (Clemens et al., 2003). Based upon these data, the potential body length could be up to a metre. Assuming the accuracy of such a guess, Kollikodon would be a contender for the largest Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
mammal known, along with other possible giants such as Repenomamus
Repenomamus
Repenomamus is the largest mammal known from the Cretaceous period of Manchuria, and it is the mammal for which there is the best evidence that it fed on dinosaurs. It is not possible to determine if Repenomamus actively hunted live dinosaurs or scavenged dead dinosaurs.-Paleobiology:Repenomamus...
, Schowalteria, and Bubodens.
Aside from its size, it is difficult to say what Kollikodon looked like. However, it may have been at least partly aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
, as its strange teeth would work well for crushing shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
.
Both Kollikodon and Steropodon
Steropodon
Steropodon galmani was a prehistoric species of monotreme, or egg-laying mammal, that lived during the middle Albian stage, in the Lower Cretaceous period...
can be found at the Australian Museum
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, along with Eric, the opal
Opal
Opal is an amorphous form of silica related to quartz, a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water, but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most...
ised pliosaur
Pliosaur
Pliosauroidea is an extinct clade of marine reptiles. Pliosauroids, also commonly known as pliosaurs, are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. The pliosauroids were short-necked plesiosaurs with large heads and massive toothed jaws. These swimming reptiles were not dinosaurs but distant...
.
Origin of Kollikodons name
Kollix is an ancient GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word for a bread roll. The strange teeth of Kollikodon, when seen from above, resemble hot cross bun
Hot cross bun
A hot cross bun, or cross-bun, is a sweet, yeast-leavened, spiced bun made with currants or raisins, often with candied citrus fruits, marked with a cross on the top. The cross can be made in a variety of ways including: of pastry; flour and water mixture; rice paper; icing; two intersecting cuts...
s, traditionally toasted and eaten on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
. Originally, Dr Mike Archer wanted to name it "Hotcrossbunodon", but met disapproval from his associates.
External links
- Australian Museum online: Lightning Ridge Opal fossils from Oz.
- Australian Museum online Some observations on Hotcrossbunidon.
- Australian Museum online, Collection Highlights