Editing Barbatodon

{{Short description|Extinct family of mammals}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Maastrichtian]]<br>~{{fossil range|70|66}}
| image = Barbatodon_transylvanicus.tif
| image_caption = Skull of ''Barbatodon transylvanicus''
| taxon = Barbatodon
| authority = Radulesco & Samson 1986
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = *''B. oardaensis''
*''B. transylvanicus''
*''B. ungureanui''
}}

'''''Barbatodon''''' is a [[mammal]] [[genus]] from the Upper [[Cretaceous]] period. It lived in [[Transylvania]] at the same time as some of the last [[dinosaur]]s and was a member of the extinct order of [[Multituberculata]]. It is within the suborder of [[Cimolodonta]], and the family [[Kogaionidae]]. The genus ''Barbatodon'' was named by  Constantin Rădulescu and Petre Mihai Samson in 1986.<ref name=PaleobiologyDB>{{cite web |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=69158 |title=†''Barbatodon'' Radulesco and Samson 1987 |work=Paleobiology Database }}</ref>

The primary species, ''Barbatodon transylvanicum'', was also named by Rãdulescu and Samson. It was found in [[stratum|strata]] dating to the Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) of the [[Sânpetru Formation]] in [[Romania]].

"Based on comparisons with the [[Molar (tooth)|m1s]] from [[Răchitova|Vălioara]], the [[holotype]] of ''Barbatodon'' is regarded as a kogaionid m1,"<ref>Csiki Z & Grigorescu D, 2001, Fossil mammals from the Maastrichtian of the Hateg Basin, Romania, 6th European Workshop on Vertebrate Palaeontology, Florence and Montevarchi (Italy), September 19–22, 2001, p.26.</ref> Kielan-Jaworowska and Hurum (2001) had it placed tentatively in the informal '''[[Paracimexomys]]'' group'.

A new species, ''B. oardaensis'', has been announced in 2014.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Codrea | first1 = V.A. | last2 = Solomon | first2 = A.A. | last3 = Venczel | first3 = M. | last4 = Smith | first4 = T. | year = 2014 | title = A new kogaionid multituberculate mammal from the Maastrichtian of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania | journal = Comptes Rendus Palevol | volume =  13| issue = 6 | pages =  489–499| doi = 10.1016/j.crpv.2014.01.003 | bibcode = 2014CRPal..13..489C | doi-access = free }}</ref> The species has been discovered in [[Oarda de Jos]], [[Țara Hațegului|Hațeg Basin]], Transylvania. It is characterized by M1 cusp formula 3:4:2 and is much smaller than the two other known species.

Most of [[Europe]] was covered by shallow seas during the Upper Cretaceous, which makes remains of terrestrial animals extremely rare. This location is one of the exceptions and the diversity of material is impressive.

==Biology==
Like modern [[rodents]] and [[shrews]], as well as the related [[taeniolabidoid]] multituberculates, ''Barbatodon'' displays red iron-pigmentation in its teeth. This distribution is more similar to that seen in shrews than in rodents or taeniolabidoids, suggesting insectivorous habits. In the absence of competing mammals, ''Barbatodon'' and similar kogaionids display a clear example of island speciation.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Thierry |last2=Codrea |first2=Vlad |title=Red Iron-Pigmented Tooth Enamel in a Multituberculate Mammal from the Late Cretaceous Transylvanian “Haţeg Island” |journal=PLOS ONE |date=15 July 2015 |volume=10 |issue=7 |page=e0132550 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0132550 | doi-access = free}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

=== Bibliography ===
* Constantin Rădulescu and Petre Mihai Samson(1986), ''Précisions sur les affinités des Multituberculés du Crétacé supérieur de Roumaine''. C R Acad Sci II: Mec-Phys, Chim, Sci Terre, Sci Univ 303p, p.&nbsp;1825-1830.
* {{cite journal | last1 = Kielan-Jaworowska | first1 = Z | last2 = Hurum | first2 = JH | year = 2001 | title = Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals | journal = Palaeontology | volume = 44 | issue = 3 | pages = 389–429 | doi=10.1111/1475-4983.00185| bibcode = 2001Palgy..44..389K | s2cid = 83592270 | url = http://doc.rero.ch/record/14775/files/PAL_E1903.pdf }}
* Much of this information has been derived from [https://web.archive.org/web/20030625015751/http://home.arcor.de/ktdykes/cimolod.htm] Mesozoic Mammals: "basal" [[Cimolodonta]], [[Cimolomyidae]], [[Boffius|Boffiidae]] and [[Kogaionidae]], an Internet directory.

{{Allotheria|C.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q4859509}}

[[Category:Cimolodonta]]
[[Category:Cretaceous mammals of Europe]]
[[Category:Cretaceous Romania]]
[[Category:Maastrichtian life]]
[[Category:Fossils of Romania]]
[[Category:Hațeg fauna]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 2014]]
[[Category:Prehistoric mammal genera]]