Lactodens, Han & Meng, 2016

Han, Gang & Meng, Jin, 2016, A new spalacolestine mammal from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota and implications for the morphology, phylogeny, and palaeobiology of Laurasian ‘ symmetrodontans’, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 178 (2), pp. 343-380 : 350

LACTODENS GEN. NOV.

Etymology

Lact-, the genitive form of Lac (Latin): milk; dens (Latin): tooth, in reference to the milk tooth-like premolars of the new taxon.

Type species

Lactodens sheni gen. et sp. nov., the only species.

Diagnosis of genus

A spalacolestine with the dental formula I3-C1-P3- M6/i3-c1-p5-m6 (three upper incisors, one canine, three premolars, and six molars/three lower incisors, one canine, five premolars and six lower molars), double-rooted upper and lower canine, distinct diastemata present in upper premolar series but absent in the lower series, extremely low-crowned and transversely narrow upper premolars, mesial upper and lower molar with broad angulation, mandibular condyle with a short stem. See more detailed differences between Lactodens and other taxa in Comparison section below.