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Allotheria

Adapted from Wikipedia Β· Discoverer experience

A reconstructed image of Volaticotherium antiquum, an ancient mammal-like reptile, sitting on a branch of a Sequoia tree.

Allotheria is an extinct group of early mammals that lived during the time of the dinosaurs and a bit after. The name Allotheria comes from Ancient Greek words meaning "other beasts." These mammals are special because they had unique teeth. They had lower teeth with rows of small points called cusps and big front teeth, but they usually did not have canine teeth.

Allotheria includes several groups of ancient mammals, such as Multituberculata and Gondwanatheria. Sometimes, another group called Haramiyida is also included. Scientists think Allotheria animals are more closely related to modern marsupials and placentals than to other early mammals like monotremes. This helps us understand how different mammal groups evolved over millions of years.

Images

A platypus, an unusual animal with a duck-like bill and webbed feet.
An artist's drawing showing Repenomamus giganticus, an ancient mammal from the time of the dinosaurs.
Artist's reconstruction of Eomaia, one of the earliest known mammals, showing its small size and furry appearance.
Scientific restoration of Sunnyodon notleyi, an extinct ancient mammal-like reptile.
Scientific illustration of Taeniolabis taoensis, an ancient mammal-like reptile from the time of the dinosaurs.
A scientific illustration of Megatherium, a giant prehistoric ground sloth that lived millions of years ago in Central and South America.
A painted illustration of a spiny anteater, also known as a Tachyglossus aculeatus.
Illustration of Cronopio, an ancient mammal from the past.

Related articles

Ancient Greek
Multituberculata
Gondwanatheria

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Allotheria, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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