Uncovering the Fossil Record of Platyodonts: Ancient Mammalian Herbivores

Platyodont (meaning "flat tooth") is an extinct genus of mammalian herbivores that lived during the Eocene epoch, about 50 million years ago. They were among the earliest known ancestors of modern-day placental mammals, and are considered to be one of the most primitive members of the order Laurasiatheria.

Platyodonts were small to medium-sized animals, with body lengths ranging from 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in) and weighing around 1 to 5 kg (2 to 11 lb). They had a flat, broad skull with simple teeth that were adapted for eating soft plants. Their dental formula was 1:1:2:3, indicating that they had one incisor, one premolar, two molars on each side of the upper jaw, and three molars on each side of the lower jaw.

Platyodonts are known from several fossil finds in Europe and North America, including the famous Messel Pit fossil site in Germany. They were likely to be semi-aquatic animals, living in wetland environments and feeding on aquatic plants. The extinction of platyodonts is thought to have been caused by a combination of factors, including climate change and competition with other herbivorous mammals.