Pantodonts

Pantodonts were an extinct order of placental mammals that lived from the Paleocene to the Eocene epochs, approximately 66 to 34 million years ago. They are primarily known from fossils found in North America, Europe, and Asia. The name "pantodont" comes from Greek words meaning "all teeth," referring to their complex and prominent dentition.

These mammals were quite diverse in size, ranging from small, rodent-like creatures to animals as large as a rhinoceros. Their diet is believed to have varied, with some being herbivorous, feeding on plants, while others may have been omnivorous or even carnivorous. Fossil evidence suggests they had powerful jaws and strong teeth adapted for crushing tough vegetation or processing other food sources.

Pantodonts possessed a generally robust build with sturdy limbs. Their exact locomotion is debated, but many appear to have been semi-aquatic or at least adapted to damp environments, possibly inhabiting riverbanks or swamps. They are characterized by their relatively short, stout limbs and broad feet.

The most well-known pantodont genus is Coryphodon, a large herbivore that was widespread in the early Eocene. Coryphodon had a distinctive large, single tusk-like incisor in its lower jaw. The evolutionary history of pantodonts is not fully understood, but they are considered an early offshoot of the placental mammal lineage. Their extinction around the Eocene-Oligocene boundary is thought to be related to climate change and competition with other emerging mammal groups.