Alphadon

Alphadon Temporal range: Late Cretaceous PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N

Reconstruction of Alphadon sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Family:	†Alphadontidae
Genus:	†Alphadon Simpson, 1927
Species
A. marshi (type) Simpson, 1927 A. wilsoni Lillegraven, 1969 A. halleyi Sahni, 1972 A. attaragos Lillegraven & McKenna, 1986 A. sahnii Lillegraven & McKenna, 1986 A. clemensi Eaton, 1993 A. lillegraveni Eaton, 1993 A. perexiguus Cifelli, 1994 A. eatoni Cifelli & Muizon, 1998

Alphadon (meaning "first tooth") was a genus of small, primitive mammal that was a member of the metatherians, a group of mammals that includes modern-day marsupials. Its fossils were first discovered and named by George Gaylord Simpson in 1929.

Not much is known about the appearance of Alphadon, as it is only known from teeth. It probably grew to about 12 in (30 cm) and may have resembled a modern opossum. Judging from its teeth, it was likely an omnivore, feeding on fruits, invertebrates and possibly small vertebrates.

The type species is Alphadon marshi. Eight other species are known.

The species Alphadon jasoni was originally described by Storer (1991); it was subsequently transferred to the herpetotheriid genus Nortedelphys.

Recent phylogenetic studies group it with other northern non-marsupial metatherians such as Albertatherium and Turgidodon. A 2016 phylogenetic analysis is shown below.

Gurlin Tsav skull