Kopidodon
genus of extinct placental mammals
Kopidodon is an extinct genus of placental mammals from subfamily Paroxyclaeninae within family Paroxyclaenidae, that lived during the middle Eocene in Germany.
Kopidodon was one of the largest tree-dwelling mammals known from Eocene Europe, growing 115 cm (45 in) long, most of which is tail. This squirrel-like mammal sported large canine teeth, probably for defense, since its molars were adapted for chewing plants, not flesh. Its legs and claws allowed Kopidodon to scramble through the trees with the greatest of ease, much like modern-day squirrels. Its fossils were found in the Messel pit, preserving even its fur. Kopidodon had a thick bushy tail for balance.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Kopidodon” is genus of extinct placental mammals. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Kopidodon, genus and extinct, not as a finished interpretation.
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This entry incorporates text from “Kopidodon” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.