Berthoecoo

Berthoecoo is an extinct genus of early, small to medium-sized omnivorous mammals that lived during the Early Paleocene epoch of North America. The genus was first described by paleontologist William Diller Matthews in 1937.

Fossil remains of Berthoecoo have been found in the Unita Formation in Utah, which was deposited approximately 62.2 million years ago. The name Berthoecoo is derived from the Greek words "berto" or "berth", which means "coal" or "carbon", likely in reference to the specific geological formation in which the fossils were found.

Technical descriptions of the Berthoecoo fossils are not particularly detailed. However, the known fossil record indicates that Berthoecoo shared characteristics with several other genera of early Paleocene mammals, some of which include small to medium-sized body size, chisel-shaped incisors, and moderately developed cheek teeth. These traits suggest that Berthoecoo was likely an opportunistic omnivore, capable of eating a varied diet that included grasses, plants, insects, and small invertebrates.

Taxonomists have variously assigned Berthoecoo to different families within the order Rodentia. Most classifications place Berthoecoo within the leporid family (family Leporidae), which includes modern-day jumping hares and rabbits. However, some classifications equally validly place Berthoecoo in the geomylid family (family Geomyidae), which comprises modern-day pocket gophers.

The fossil record of Berthoecoo is still relatively scarce, and therefore much remains to be learned about the evolutionary history and habits of this enigmatic genus of ancient mammals.