|
| Sparassodonta Temporal range: Palaeocene–Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Thylacosmilus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Infraclass: | |
| Order: | †Sparassodonta Ameghino, 1894 |
The Sparassodonta were an order of carnivorous metatherian mammals. They are all now extinct.
The sparassodonts were native to South America. They were once thought to be true marsupials, but are now classified as a sister taxon to them.
A number of these mammalian predators closely resemble placental predators that evolved separately in Eurasia. They were first described by Florentino Ameghino, from fossils found in the Santa Cruz beds of Patagonia. view more...
 |
|