Dryolestidae

Dryolestidae Temporal range: Middle Jurassic-Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Subclass:	Theria
Order:	Dryolestida
Family:	†Dryolestidae Marsh, 1879
Genera
Dryolestes Amblotherium Crusafontia Groebertherium Guimarotodus Krebsotherium Laolestes Leonardus Peraspalax Phascolestes Portopinheirodon

Dryolestidae was an abundant and diverse group of Mesozoic mammals. These mammals were different from their relatives by having the following two characteristics:

• Their upper and lower molars were shortened mesiodistally and widened labiolingually.
• The anterior root of lower molars were more robust and bigger.

Further reading

• Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Richard L. Cifelli, and Zhe-Xi Luo, Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: Origins, Evolution, and Structure (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004), 380-382.