Kopidodon

Kopidodon Temporal range: 47.8–46.3  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Middle Eocene
fossil of Kopidodon macrognathus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	† Pantolesta
Family:	† Paroxyclaenidae
Subfamily:	† Paroxyclaeninae
Genus:	† Kopidodon Weitzel, 1933 [1]
Type species
†Kopidodon macrognathus Wittich, 1902 [2]
Synonyms
synonyms of species: K. macrognathus: Cryptopithecus macrognathus(Wittich, 1902)

Kopidodon is an extinct genus of placental mammals from subfamily Paroxyclaeninae within family Paroxyclaenidae, that lived during the middle Eocene in Germany. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Kopidodon was one of the largest tree-dwelling mammals known from Eocene Europe: growing 115 centimeters long (most of that length is tail). This squirrel-like mammal sported large canine teeth, probably for defense, since its molars were adapted for chewing plants, not flesh. Its legs and claws allowed Kopidodon to scramble through the trees with the greatest of ease, much like modern-day squirrels. Its fossils were found in the Messel pit, preserving even its fur. Kopidodon had a thick bushy tail for balance. ^[6]

References

1. Weitzel, K. (1933.) "Kopidodon macrognathus Wittitch, ein Raubtier aus dem Mitteleozän von Messel." Notizblatt des Vereins für Erdkunde und der Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstalt zu Darmstadt, 14, 81–88.
2. Wittich, E. (1902.) "Cryptopithecus macrognathus n. spec., ein neur Primate aus den Braunkohlen von Messel." Centralbl. Mineral. Geol. Palaeont., 289-294.
3. McKenna, Malcolm C.; Bell, Susan K. (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN   978-0-231-11012-9 . Retrieved 16 March 2015.
4. Floréal Solé; Olivia Plateau; Kévin Le Verger; Alain Phélizon (2019). "New paroxyclaenid mammals from the early Eocene of the Paris Basin (France) shed light on the origin and evolution of these endemic European cimolestans" (PDF). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 17 (20): 1711–1743. Bibcode:2019JSPal..17.1711S. doi:10.1080/14772019.2018.1551248. S2CID   92487920.
5. Solé, Floréal; Baqri, Syed Rafiqul Hassan; Iqbal, Nayyer; Roohi, Ghazala; Benammi, Mouloud; Crochet, Jean-Yves; De Franceschi, Dario; Antoine, Pierre-Olivier; Marandat, Bernard; Métais, Grégoire; Marivaux, Laurent (30 October 2024). "An unexpected late paroxyclaenid (Mammalia, Cimolesta) out of Europe: dental evidence from the Oligocene of the Bugti Hills, Pakistan". Papers in Palaeontology. 10 (6). Bibcode:2024PPal...10E1599S. doi:10.1002/spp2.1599. ISSN   2056-2799 . Retrieved 29 May 2025– via Wiley Online Library.
6. William A. Clemens, Wighart von Koenigswald (1993.) "A new skeleton of Kopidodon macrognathus from the Middle Eocene of Messel and the relationship of paroxyclaenids and pantolestids based on postcranial evidence." Kaupia - Darmstädter Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte 3: 57–73