“B” is for Baiotomeus

“B” is for Baiotomeus

Baiotomeus is a member of the Order Mulituberculata, which were an abundant group of mammals thought to occupy similar niches as modern rodents. Multituberculates were unique to identify by their blade-like lower fourth premolar and teeth with multiple cusps. They were rather Lego-like in appearance.

Two species of Baiotomeus were present in The Breaks, B. lamberti, and B. sp. The second species was distinct from B. lamberti, but could not be assigned conclusively to any other species.

For a long time, I had thought several specimens of Baiotomeus from The Breaks represented a third species. It turned out those belonged to a different genus of multituberculate called Ptilodus (specifically Ptilodus gnomus).

Baiotomeus was identified from nine different localities in The Breaks, all representing the earliest Tiffanian (overlap zone). Baiotomeus is known from other regions in the latest Torrejonian as well.

Part of the Blogging from A to Z challenge.

For 4-2-13