Lavocatia
Encyclopedia
Lavocatia is a genus of extinct mammal
from the Lower Cretaceous
of Spain
. It was a member of the also extinct order
Multituberculata
, and lived alongside of dinosaur
s. Like most Mesozoic
mammals, it was a shrew
ish-sized animal. It's in the suborder "Plagiaulacida
" and family
Pinheirodontidae
. The genus Lavocatia was named by J. I. Canudo and G. Cuenca in 1996 based on a single tooth.
The species Lavocatia alfambrensis is known from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous)-age strata
of Galve
, Spain. This genus is apparently differentiated by the number of cusps on the tooth; 15. Also referred to in the reference is Peramura. This was a more "advanced" group of mammals, possibly ancestral to ourselves (see Peramus).
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
from the Lower Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was a member of the also extinct order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Multituberculata
Multituberculata
The Multituberculata were a group of rodent-like mammals that existed for approximately one hundred and twenty million years—the longest fossil history of any mammal lineage—but were eventually outcompeted by rodents, becoming extinct during the early Oligocene. At least 200 species are...
, and lived alongside of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s. Like most Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
mammals, it was a shrew
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
ish-sized animal. It's in the suborder "Plagiaulacida
Plagiaulacida
Plagiaulacida is a group of extinct multituberculate mammals. Multituberculates were among the most common mammals of the Mesozoic, "the age of the dinosaurs"...
" and family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pinheirodontidae
Pinheirodontidae
Pinheirodontidae is a poorly known family of fossil mammals within the order Multituberculata. Remains are known from the earliest Cretaceous of Europe, , but are so far restricted to teeth. These small plant-eaters lived during the "age of the dinosaurs"...
. The genus Lavocatia was named by J. I. Canudo and G. Cuenca in 1996 based on a single tooth.
The species Lavocatia alfambrensis is known from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous)-age strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
of Galve
Galve, Teruel
Galve is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 145 inhabitants. There is an important paleontological site.-Paleontological significance:...
, Spain. This genus is apparently differentiated by the number of cusps on the tooth; 15. Also referred to in the reference is Peramura. This was a more "advanced" group of mammals, possibly ancestral to ourselves (see Peramus).