Pantolambda

Pantolambda is an extinct genus of pantolodont mammal that lived during the Paleocene epoch. Its fossils have been found in North America, particularly in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico. Pantolambda is considered one of the earliest and most primitive of the pantolodonts, a group of ungulates that were widespread in the early Cenozoic.

The animal is estimated to have been about the size of a modern pig, with a robust build and short limbs. Its skull was relatively large, and it possessed a distinctive dental formula, with large, ever-growing incisors and molars adapted for grinding plant material. The exact diet of Pantolambda is debated, but it is believed to have been herbivorous, likely feeding on low-lying vegetation.

Pantolambda's limb structure suggests it was a quadrupedal animal that spent time on the ground. Its evolutionary significance lies in its early position within the pantolodont lineage, providing insights into the diversification of ungulates following the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. The discovery of Pantolambda has been crucial for understanding the mammalian fauna of the Paleocene and the subsequent evolution of hoofed mammals.