Arginbaatar

Arginbaatar is a genus of extinct mammal that lived during the Lower Cretaceous period in what is now Mongolia. It belonged to a special group of ancient mammals called the Multituberculata, which are also no longer around today. This group is part of a family named Arginbaataridae, first described by scientists Hahn & Hahn in 1983.

The name Arginbaatar was given to this ancient animal by a scientist named Trofimov B.A. in 1980. The word "Baatar" comes from the Mongolian language and means "hero" or "warrior." The main species in this group is called Arginbaatar dmitrievae, also named by Trofimov.

Scientists discovered fossils of Arginbaatar in the Dzunbain Formation in Mongolia, and these fossils date back to a time called the Aptian or Albian, which is part of the Lower Cretaceous period. This makes Arginbaatar one of the few known members of its family, making that family very special because it only has this one member. Some features of Arginbaatar look similar to another group called "Plagiaulacida," while other features are more like those found in a more advanced group known as the suborder of Cimolodonta. Scientists are still figuring out exactly where Arginbaatar fits in the big family tree of ancient mammals.