Pleuraspidotherium Teeth

Pleuraspidotherium, an animal about 60 cm in head and body length, is found in river deposits near Cernay France, which have even been called the Pleuraspidotherium beds. Large herds of this condylarth must have browsed on the vegetation at the riverside. The cheek teeth ofPleuraspidotherium were surprisingly advanced for a Paleocene mammal: They have a so-called selenodont pattern of crescent-shaped ridges, similar to that developed much later by even-toed ungulates like deer and camel. Equipped with such a dentition, Pleuraspidotherium must have been one of the most exclusive herbivores of its time.