Paulchoffatiidae is a family of extinct mammals that lived predominantly during the Upper Jurassic

Jurassic

The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to  Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...

 period, though a couple of genera

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 are known from the earliest 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...

. Some undescribed fossils from the Middle Jurassic of England may represent earlier versions. Remains have been reported from Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, Spain and England. Paulchoffatiids were members of the order 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...

. They were relatively early representatives and are within the informal suborder of "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"...

". The family was named by G. Hahn in 1969, and it honors the Portuguese geologist Léon Paul Choffat. Two subfamilies are recognized.

The most productive fossil

Fossil

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...

 site for Paulchoffatiids has been Guimarota

Guimarota

Guimarota is a disused coal mine that contains a diverse array of fossil animals and plants from the Upper Jurassic, Kimmeridgian period. It is located in central Portugal, near the city of Leiria....

, Portugal. Remains from this locality are generally diagnosed on the basis of lower or upper jaws. In only one instance, that of Kuehneodon

Kuehneodon

Kuehneodon is a genus of extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous of Europe. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. Members of this genus lived alongside such dinosaurs as Allosaurus. It belongs to the suborder "Plagiaulacida", family...

, 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.

Subfamily Paulchoffatiinae

Paulchoffatia

Paulchoffatia

Paulchoffatia is a genus of extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata, within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae. It lived in Europe during the "age of the dinosaurs."The genus...

, Bathmochoffatia

Bathmochoffatia

Bathmochoffatia is an extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata. It lived in Portugal at about the same time as the far more famous dinosaur, Allosaurus. It is in the suborder "Plagiaulacida", family Paulchoffatiidae. The genus...

, Guimarotodon

Guimarotodon

Guimarotodon is an extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It made its living nibbling plants as great big, and small, dinosaurs roamed the world. Guimarotodon Hahn G, 1969...

, Henkelodon

Henkelodon

Henkelodon was a small mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the extinct order Multituberculata. Henkelodon was a European herbivore that lived during the "age of the dinosaurs". It lies within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae.The genus Henkelodon...

, Kielanodon

Kielanodon

Kielanodon is an extinct mammal of the Portuguese Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata...

, Meketibolodon

Meketibolodon

Meketibolodon is a genus of extinct mammal from the Kimmeridgian Camadas de Guimarota of Guimarota, Portugal. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata, suborder Plagiaulacida, family Paulchoffatiidae. The genus was named by Hahn G...

, Meketichoffatia

Meketichoffatia

Meketichoffatia was a small mammal from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal. It was a relatively early member of the extinct order Multituberculata. It lived at the same time as dinosaurs such as Allosaurus. It's within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae.The genus Meketichoffatia ...

, Plesiochoffatia

Plesiochoffatia

Plesiochoffatia is an extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata. It was a resident of Portugal during the "age of the dinosaurs." It's in the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae.The genus Plesiochoffatia was...

, Pseudobolodon

Pseudobolodon

Pseudobolodon was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of mammals, Multituberculata. It lived in Portugal during the Upper Jurassic, part of the "age of the dinosaurs." It lies within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae....

, Galveodon

Galveodon

Galveodon is an extinct, Spanish mammal of the Lower Cretaceous. It was a relatively early representative of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It lived during 'the age of the dinosaurs'...

, Sunnyodon

Sunnyodon

Sunnyodon is a tiny, extinct mammal, probably of the Lower Cretaceous. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It lived in obscurity in southern England during the "age of the dinosaurs"...

Subfamily Kuehneodontinae

This taxon

Taxon

|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...

 is restricted to one genus, Kuehneodon

Kuehneodon

Kuehneodon is a genus of extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous of Europe. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. Members of this genus lived alongside such dinosaurs as Allosaurus. It belongs to the suborder "Plagiaulacida", family...

, with six species.

Taxonomy

Subclass †Allotheria

Allotheria

Allotheria was a branch of successful Mesozoic mammals. The most important characteristic was the presence of lower molariform teeth equipped with two longitudinal rows of cusps...

Marsh, 1880

• Order †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...
  
  Cope, 1884:
  • 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"...
    
    Simpson 1925
    • Family †Paulchoffatiidae Hahn, 1969
      • Subfamily †Paulchoffatiinae Hahn, 1971
        • Genus †Paulchoffatia
          Paulchoffatia
          Paulchoffatia is a genus of extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata, within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae. It lived in Europe during the "age of the dinosaurs."The genus...
          
           Kühne, 1961
          • Species †P. delgador Kühne, 1961
        • Genus †Pseudobolodon
          Pseudobolodon
          Pseudobolodon was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of mammals, Multituberculata. It lived in Portugal during the Upper Jurassic, part of the "age of the dinosaurs." It lies within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae....
          
           Hahn, 1977
          • Species †P. oreas Hahn, 1977
          • Species †P. krebsi Hahn & Hahn, 1994
        • Genus †Henkelodon
          Henkelodon
          Henkelodon was a small mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the extinct order Multituberculata. Henkelodon was a European herbivore that lived during the "age of the dinosaurs". It lies within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae.The genus Henkelodon...
          
           Hahn, 1987
          • Species †H. naias Hahn, 1987
        • Genus †Guimarotodon
          Guimarotodon
          Guimarotodon is an extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It made its living nibbling plants as great big, and small, dinosaurs roamed the world. Guimarotodon Hahn G, 1969...
          
           Hahn, 1969
          • Species †G. leiriensis Hahn, 1969
        • Genus †Meketibolodon
          Meketibolodon
          Meketibolodon is a genus of extinct mammal from the Kimmeridgian Camadas de Guimarota of Guimarota, Portugal. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata, suborder Plagiaulacida, family Paulchoffatiidae. The genus was named by Hahn G...
          
           (Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993
          • Species †M. robustus (Hahn, 1978) Hahn, 1993
        • Genus †Plesiochoffatia
          Plesiochoffatia
          Plesiochoffatia is an extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata. It was a resident of Portugal during the "age of the dinosaurs." It's in the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae.The genus Plesiochoffatia was...
          
           Hahn & Hahn, 1999
          • Species †P. thoas Hahn & Hahn, 1998
          • Species †P. peparethos Hahn & Hahn, 1998
          • Species †P. staphylos Hahn & Hahn, 1998
        • Genus †Xenachoffatia
          Xenachoffatia
          Xenachoffatia is a small Jurassic mammal from Portugal. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It lived during "the age of the dinosaurs" and belongs to the suborder Plagiaulacida, family Paulchoffatiidae....
          
           Hahn & Hahn, 1998
          • Species †X. oinopion Hahn & Hahn, 1998
        • Genus †Bathmochoffatia
          Bathmochoffatia
          Bathmochoffatia is an extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order Multituberculata. It lived in Portugal at about the same time as the far more famous dinosaur, Allosaurus. It is in the suborder "Plagiaulacida", family Paulchoffatiidae. The genus...
          
           Hahn & Hahn, 1998
          • Species †B. hapax Hahn & Hahn, 1998
        • Genus †Kielanodon
          Kielanodon
          Kielanodon is an extinct mammal of the Portuguese Upper Jurassic. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata...
          
           Hahn, 1987
          • Species †K. hopsoni Hahn, 1987
        • Genus †Meketichoffatia
          Meketichoffatia
          Meketichoffatia was a small mammal from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal. It was a relatively early member of the extinct order Multituberculata. It lived at the same time as dinosaurs such as Allosaurus. It's within the suborder "Plagiaulacida" and family Paulchoffatiidae.The genus Meketichoffatia ...
          
           Hahn, 1993
          • Species †M. krausei Hahn, 1993
        • Genus †Galveodon
          Galveodon
          Galveodon is an extinct, Spanish mammal of the Lower Cretaceous. It was a relatively early representative of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It lived during 'the age of the dinosaurs'...
          
           Hahn & Hahn, 1992
          • Species †G. nannothus Hahn & Hahn, 1992
        • Genus †Sunnyodon
          Sunnyodon
          Sunnyodon is a tiny, extinct mammal, probably of the Lower Cretaceous. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. It lived in obscurity in southern England during the "age of the dinosaurs"...
          
           Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992
          • Species †S. notleyi Kielan-Jaworowska & Ensom, 1992
      • Subfamily †Kuehneodontinae Hahn, 1971
        • Genus †Kuehneodon
          Kuehneodon
          Kuehneodon is a genus of extinct mammal of the Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous of Europe. It was a relatively early member of the also extinct order of Multituberculata. Members of this genus lived alongside such dinosaurs as Allosaurus. It belongs to the suborder "Plagiaulacida", family...
          
           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