Morganucodon

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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Morganucodon | fossil_range = Late Triassic to Early Jurassic | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | unranked_classis = Mammaliaformes | ordo = Morganucodonta | familia = Morganucodontidae | genus = Morganucodon | genus_authority = Kühne, 1949 }}Morganucodon is a genus which lived during the Upper Triassic in (at least) Wales, England, east Asia, and perhaps South Africa. It first appeared about 205 million years ago. The species is named Morganucodon oelheri.

It is unclear where Morganucodon should be classified. Sometimes it has been classified as a member of Eucynodonts (a mammal-like reptile group), and sometimes it has been classified as a primitive mammal in the subclass of Prototheria, order Docodonta (extinct) or Tricodonta.

What makes Morganucodon special is that some of its upper jaw resembles that of reptiles. That is, its inscisives are not placed in the preamaxillaria as in mammals, but rather in the maxillaria as in some specialized Therapsida, and its ear bones remain attached to the jaw. The lower jaw has only reptile elements. More research is needed to find out more about this species.Template:Paleo-stub Template:Mammal-stub

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