Apterodon

Ap-teh-roe-don.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Apterodon

Phonetic

Ap-teh-roe-don.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Creodonta,‭ ‬Hyaenodontidae‭?

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬gaudryi‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Egypt,‭ ‬Germany.

Time Period

Priabonian of the Eocene to Rupelian of the Oligocene.

Fossil representation

Fossils of several individuals,‭ ‬though often of very incomplete‭ ‬remains.

In Depth

       A little known creodont genus,‭ ‬Apterodon fossil locations so far suggest that the genus roamed across Europe and North Africa from the late Eocene to early Oligocene periods.‭ ‬Although a creodont and a predator,‭ ‬Apterodon lacks the carnassial‭ (‬blade-like meat shearing‭) ‬teeth that are seen in other creodonts.‭ ‬This may indicate a different eating and possibly hunting specialisation for this genus,‭ ‬something that may have reduced inter-species competition and allowed it to live in the same ecosystems as other creodonts.‭

       One former species of Apterodon,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬flonheimensis,‭ ‬is now considered to be a synonym to the type species A.‭ ‬gaudryi.

Further Reading

– Apterodon intermedus,‭ ‬sp.‭ ‬nov.,‭ ‬a new European Creodont Mammal from MP22‭ ‬of Espenhain‭ (‬Germany‭)‬,‭ ‬Bridgette lange-Badre‭ & ‬Madelaine Bohme‭ ‬-‭ ‬2005.

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