Meniscoessus
Encyclopedia
Meniscoessus is a genus
of extinct mammal
from the Upper Cretaceous
Period of what is now North America
. It lived toward the end of the "age of the dinosaur
s" and was a member of the extinct order
Multituberculata
. It lies within the suborder Cimolodonta
and family
Cimolomyidae
.
The genus Meniscoessus was named by Cope E.D. in 1882. It has also been known under the following names: Cimolomys
(partly); Dipriodon (Marsh
1889); Halodon (Marsh 1889); Oracodon (Marsh 1889); Moeniscoessus; Selenacodon (Marsh 1889) (partly); and Tripriodon (Marsh 1889).
The history of this generic name is complicated and confusing. It is attributed to Cope, 1882. Later, this was joined by "Meniscoessus" (Marsh 1889). The second usage apparently related to teeth described as belonging to small carnivorous
dinosaurs. These were further christened Dipriodon, Tripriodon and others, including Triprotodon. Close similarities were then noticed with an already established dinosaur genus, Paronychodon (Cope 1876), also based on teeth from the Laramie Formation. Over time, an impressive school of names was synonymized under P. However, this is now considered a nomina dubia.
In 1929, Simpson published American Mesozoic Mammalia (Mem. of the Peabody Museum, 3 pt. 1; i-xv). The name Tripriodon ("three saw tooth") was resurrected. These "theropod" teeth were actually mammalian. The mammal T. since seems to have fallen from use.
Be that all as it may, Meniscoessus is a valid multituberculate, and is known from some quite good remains, as well as a great many teeth.
remains were found in the Upper Cretaceous strata
of the Williams Fork Formation, in Colorado
(USA). This species is known from only one site. It weighed an estimated 1.4 kg.
The species Meniscoessus conquistus was named by Cope E.D. in 1882. Remains were found in the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of Colorado and of the St. Mary River Formation of Canada]].
The species Meniscoessus ferox was named by Fox R.C. in 1971. Remains were found in Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of the Upper Milk River Formation of Alberta
, Canada. The holotype
, collected in 1968, is in the University of Alberta
collection.
The species Meniscoessus intermedius was named by Fox R.C. in 1976. Remains were found in the Campanian - Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of the Oldman Formation
of Alberta and New Mexico
, Utah
and Wyoming
(USA). It is estimated to have weighed about 500 g, as much as a large rat.
The species Meniscoessus major was named by Russell in the 1930s. It is also known as Cimolomys major (Russell 1936). Remains were found in the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of Montana
(USA) and Alberta, Canada. The weight of this species has been estimated at around a kilogram. The holotype
is in Alberta.
The species Meniscoessus robustus was named by Marsh O.C. in 1889. It has also been known as Cimolomys sculptusy; Dipriodon lacunatus; D. lunatus (Marsh 1889); D. robustus (Marsh 1889); Halodon sculptus (Marsh 1889); M. borealis (Simpson 1927); M. coelatus; M. fragilis; M. greeni (Wilson R.W. 1987); M. lunatus; M. sculptus; Moeniscoessus robustus; Oracodon anceps (Marsh 1889); O. conulus (Marsh 1892); Selenacodon fragilis (Marsh 1889); and Tripriodon coelatus (Marsh 1889). Remains were discovered in Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) and possibly Paleocene
strata of Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota
(USA) and the St. Mary's River Formation in Canada. Marsh authored a swamp of names. The weight of this species is estimated to have been about 3.3 kg. The first usage of M. robustus seems to go back to Osborn in 1891.
The species Meniscoessus seminoensis was named by Eberle J.J. and Lillegraven J.A. in 1998. Remains were found in Campanian - Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of the Ferris Formation in Wyoming. A 3.5 cm lower jaw was found near the Seminoe mountains. It has a close resemblance to M. robustus. It was somewhere between "rat-sized" and 3.5 kilograms, depending upon which source. An alternative name for this location is "Leave No Toad Unturned."
Several other names have been in circulation, such as Meniscoessus bustus, Meniscoessus caperatus (Marsh 1889), and Meniscoessus coelatus. The first is probably a variant of M. robustus, while the latter two seem to have been connected with dinosaur
teeth.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of extinct mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
from the Upper 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 of what is now North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It lived toward the end of the "age of the dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s" and was a member of the extinct order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Multituberculata
Multituberculata
The Multituberculata were a group of rodent-like mammals that existed for approximately one hundred and twenty million years—the longest fossil history of any mammal lineage—but were eventually outcompeted by rodents, becoming extinct during the early Oligocene. At least 200 species are...
. It lies within the suborder Cimolodonta
Cimolodonta
The Cimolodonta are a taxon of extinct mammals that lived from the Cretaceous to the Eocene. They were some of the more derived members of the extinct order Multituberculata. They probably lived something of a rodent-like existence until their ecological niche was assumed by true rodents...
and family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cimolomyidae
Cimolomyidae
Cimolomyidae is a family of fossil mammal within the extinct order Multituberculata. Representatives are known from the Upper Cretaceous and the Paleocene of North America and perhaps Mongolia. The family is part of the suborder Cimolodonta. Other than that, their systematic relationships are hard...
.
The genus Meniscoessus was named by Cope E.D. in 1882. It has also been known under the following names: Cimolomys
Cimolomys
Cimolomys is a mammal genus from the Upper Cretaceous of North America. It was a member of the extinct order Multituberculata within the suborder Cimolodonta and family Cimolomyidae.The genus Cimolomys was named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1889...
(partly); Dipriodon (Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist. Marsh was one of the preeminent scientists in the field; the discovery or description of dozens of news species and theories on the origins of birds are among his legacies.Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education...
1889); Halodon (Marsh 1889); Oracodon (Marsh 1889); Moeniscoessus; Selenacodon (Marsh 1889) (partly); and Tripriodon (Marsh 1889).
The history of this generic name is complicated and confusing. It is attributed to Cope, 1882. Later, this was joined by "Meniscoessus" (Marsh 1889). The second usage apparently related to teeth described as belonging to small carnivorous
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
dinosaurs. These were further christened Dipriodon, Tripriodon and others, including Triprotodon. Close similarities were then noticed with an already established dinosaur genus, Paronychodon (Cope 1876), also based on teeth from the Laramie Formation. Over time, an impressive school of names was synonymized under P. However, this is now considered a nomina dubia.
In 1929, Simpson published American Mesozoic Mammalia (Mem. of the Peabody Museum, 3 pt. 1; i-xv). The name Tripriodon ("three saw tooth") was resurrected. These "theropod" teeth were actually mammalian. The mammal T. since seems to have fallen from use.
Be that all as it may, Meniscoessus is a valid multituberculate, and is known from some quite good remains, as well as a great many teeth.
Species
The species Meniscoessus collomensis was named by Lillegraven J.A. in 1987. FossilFossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
remains were found in the Upper Cretaceous strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
of the Williams Fork Formation, in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
(USA). This species is known from only one site. It weighed an estimated 1.4 kg.
The species Meniscoessus conquistus was named by Cope E.D. in 1882. Remains were found in the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of Colorado and of the St. Mary River Formation of Canada]].
The species Meniscoessus ferox was named by Fox R.C. in 1971. Remains were found in Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of the Upper Milk River Formation of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada. The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, collected in 1968, is in the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
collection.
The species Meniscoessus intermedius was named by Fox R.C. in 1976. Remains were found in the Campanian - Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of the Oldman Formation
Oldman Formation
The Oldman Formation is the middle member of the Judith River Group, a major geologic unit in southern Alberta. The formation is widely recognized as bearing a great number of well preserved dinosaur skeletons, as well as other fossils.-Age:...
of Alberta and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
(USA). It is estimated to have weighed about 500 g, as much as a large rat.
The species Meniscoessus major was named by Russell in the 1930s. It is also known as Cimolomys major (Russell 1936). Remains were found in the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
(USA) and Alberta, Canada. The weight of this species has been estimated at around a kilogram. The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
is in Alberta.
The species Meniscoessus robustus was named by Marsh O.C. in 1889. It has also been known as Cimolomys sculptusy; Dipriodon lacunatus; D. lunatus (Marsh 1889); D. robustus (Marsh 1889); Halodon sculptus (Marsh 1889); M. borealis (Simpson 1927); M. coelatus; M. fragilis; M. greeni (Wilson R.W. 1987); M. lunatus; M. sculptus; Moeniscoessus robustus; Oracodon anceps (Marsh 1889); O. conulus (Marsh 1892); Selenacodon fragilis (Marsh 1889); and Tripriodon coelatus (Marsh 1889). Remains were discovered in Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) and possibly Paleocene
Paleocene
The Paleocene or Palaeocene, the "early recent", is a geologic epoch that lasted from about . It is the first epoch of the Palaeogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era...
strata of Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
(USA) and the St. Mary's River Formation in Canada. Marsh authored a swamp of names. The weight of this species is estimated to have been about 3.3 kg. The first usage of M. robustus seems to go back to Osborn in 1891.
The species Meniscoessus seminoensis was named by Eberle J.J. and Lillegraven J.A. in 1998. Remains were found in Campanian - Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of the Ferris Formation in Wyoming. A 3.5 cm lower jaw was found near the Seminoe mountains. It has a close resemblance to M. robustus. It was somewhere between "rat-sized" and 3.5 kilograms, depending upon which source. An alternative name for this location is "Leave No Toad Unturned."
Several other names have been in circulation, such as Meniscoessus bustus, Meniscoessus caperatus (Marsh 1889), and Meniscoessus coelatus. The first is probably a variant of M. robustus, while the latter two seem to have been connected with dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
teeth.