Pantotheria (Noun)
Meaning
Generalized extinct mammals widespread during the Jurassic; commonly conceded to be ancestral to marsupial and placental mammals.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The fossil record from the Jurassic period contains numerous examples of pantotheria, shedding light on their widespread presence during that era.
- Studies on pantotheria have been fruitful in understanding the transition from ancient mammals to the modern groups we recognize today.
- Pantotheria fossils often display characteristics that distinguish them as precursors to both marsupial and placental mammals.
- Research indicates that the evolutionary lineage of pantotheria likely predates the divergence between marsupials and placentals.
- Extinct families within the pantotheria supercohort exhibit variations in dental and cranial structures that were crucial for their eventual replacement by more advanced mammals.