Paulchoffatiidae
| Paulchoffatiidae Temporal range:
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| Drawing of the skull of Paulchoffatia | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Multituberculata |
| Suborder: | †Plagiaulacida |
| Family: | †Paulchoffatiidae Hahn, 1969 |
| Genera | |
Paulchoffatiidae is a family of extinct mammals that lived predominantly during the Late Jurassic epoch, though a couple of genera are known from the Early Cretaceous. Fossils have been reported from Europe (Portugal, Spain, Germany, and England). Paulchoffatiids were members of the order Multituberculata. They were relatively early representatives and are within the informal suborder of "Plagiaulacida". The family was named by G. Hahn in 1969, and it honors the Portuguese geologist Léon Paul Choffat.
The most productive fossil site for Paulchoffatiids has been Guimarota, Portugal. Remains from this locality are generally diagnosed on the basis of lower or upper jaws. In only one instance, that of Kuehneodon, has it been possible to match the two up. Some of the lower jaws probably represent the same animals as some of the upper, so the diversity of Paulchoffatiids is very possibly exaggerated. As the site is now a flooded, disused coalmine, further excavations are highly unlikely. However, other locations may yet provide more clarity.
The Paulchoffatiids have been further arranged into two subfamilies and a couple of other genera.
Taxonomy
Two subfamilies of Paulchoffatiidae are recognised.[1] One is known as Paulchoffatiinae.[2] The other is known as Kuehneodontinae.[1] The subfamily Paulchoffatiinae includes Paulchoffatia, Bathmochoffatia, Guimarotodon, Henkelodon, Kielanodon, Meketibolodon, Meketichoffatia, Plesiochoffatia, Pseudobolodon, Galveodon, Sunnyodon, and Xenachoffatia. The subfamily Kuehneodontinae, meanwhile, is a taxon restricted to one genus, Kuehneodon, with seven species. Rugosodon from the Middle Jurassic of China, known from a mostly complete skeleton, was formerly referred to the family,[3] but was later considered an indeterminate member of the Paulchoffatiid-line.[1]
Subclass †Allotheria Marsh, 1880
- Order †Multituberculata Cope, 1884:
- Suborder †Plagiaulacida Simpson 1925
- Family †Paulchoffatiidae Hahn, 1969
- Subfamily †Paulchoffatiinae Hahn, 1971
- Genus †Paulchoffatia Kühne, 1961
- Species †P. delgadoi Kühne, 1961
- Genus †Pseudobolodon Hahn, 1977
- Genus †Henkelodon Hahn, 1987
- Species †H. naias Hahn, 1987
- Genus †Guimarotodon Hahn, 1969
- Species †G. leiriensis Hahn, 1969
- Genus †Meketibolodon (Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993
- Species †M. robustus (Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993
- Genus †Plesiochoffatia Hahn & Hahn, 1999
- Species †P. thoas Hahn & Hahn, 1998
- Species †P. peparethos Hahn & Hahn, 1998
- Species †P. staphylos Hahn & Hahn, 1998
- Genus †Xenachoffatia Hahn & Hahn, 1998
- Species †X. oinopion Hahn & Hahn, 1998
- Genus †Bathmochoffatia Hahn & Hahn, 1998
- Species †B. hapax Hahn & Hahn, 1998
- Genus †Kielanodon Hahn, 1987
- Species †K. hopsoni Hahn, 1987
- Genus †Meketichoffatia Hahn, 1993
- Species †M. krausei Hahn, 1993
- Genus †Galveodon Hahn & Hahn, 1992
- Species †G. nannothus Hahn & Hahn, 1992
- Genus †Sunnyodon Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992
- Species †S. notleyi Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992
- Genus †Paulchoffatia Kühne, 1961
- Subfamily †Kuehneodontinae Hahn, 1971
- Genus †Kuehneodon Hahn, 1969
- Species †K. dietrichi Hahn, 1969
- Species †K. barcasensis Hahn & Hahn, 2001
- Species †K. dryas Hahn, 1977
- Species †K. guimarotensis Hahn, 1969
- Species †K. hahni Antunes, 1988
- Species †K. simpsoni Hahn, 1969
- Species †K. uniradiculatus Hahn, 1978
- Genus †Kuehneodon Hahn, 1969
- Subfamily †Paulchoffatiinae Hahn, 1971
- Family †Paulchoffatiidae Hahn, 1969
- Suborder †Plagiaulacida Simpson 1925
Palaeobiology
Tooth occlusion in paulchoffatiids was inexact and imprecise compared to in other multituberculates, as indicated by dental microwear. Paulchoffatiid mastication occurred in two phases: a puncture-crushing cycle and a grinding cycle.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Martin, Thomas; O. Averianov, Alexander; A. Schultz, Julia; H. Schwermann, Achim; Wings, Oliver (7 August 2019). "Late Jurassic multituberculate mammals from Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, Germany) and palaeobiogeography of European Jurassic multituberculates". Historical Biology. 33 (5): 616–629. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1650274. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 201201555.
- ^ Krause, David W.; Hahn, Gerhard (November 1990). "Systematic position of the Paulchoffatiinae (Multituberculata, Mammalia)". Journal of Paleontology. 64 (6): 1051–1054. doi:10.1017/S0022336000019922. ISSN 0022-3360. Retrieved 23 September 2025 – via Cambridge Core.
- ^ Yuan, Chong-Xi; Ji, Qiang; Meng, Qing-Jin; Tabrum, Alan R.; Luo, Zhe-Xi (16 August 2013). "Earliest Evolution of Multituberculate Mammals Revealed by a New Jurassic Fossil". Science. 341 (6147): 779–783. doi:10.1126/science.1237970. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 23950536. S2CID 25885140. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ^ Lazzari, Vincent; Schultz, Julia A.; Tafforeau, Paul; Martin, Thomas (8 June 2010). "Occlusal Pattern in Paulchoffatiid Multituberculates and the Evolution of Cusp Morphology in Mammaliamorphs with Rodent-like Dentitions". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 17 (3): 177–192. doi:10.1007/s10914-010-9139-5. ISSN 1064-7554. Retrieved 21 September 2025 – via Springer Nature Link.
- Hahn G. and Hahn R. (2000), Multituberculates from the Guimarota mine, p. 97-107 in Martin T. and Krebs B. (eds), Guimarota - A Jurassic Ecosystem, Published by Dr Friedrich Pfeil in Münich, Germany.
- Kielan-Jaworowska Z. and Hurum J.H. (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". Paleontology 44, p. 389-429.
- Much of this information has been derived from [1] MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Basal Multituberculata, an Internet directory.
