Multituberculata

Multituberculata is an extinct order of rodent-like mammals with a fossil record spanning over 130 million years. They first appeared in the Middle Jurassic, and reached a peak diversity during the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene. They declined from the mid-Paleocene onwards, finally going extinct in the late Eocene. They are the most diverse order of Mesozoic mammals with more than 200 species known, ranging from mouse-sized to beaver-sized. These species occupied a diversity of ecological niches, ranging from burrow-dwelling to squirrel-like arborealism to jerboa-like hoppers. Multituberculates are usually placed as crown mammals outside either of the two main groups of living mammals, Theria — placentals and marsupials — and Monotremata, but usually as closer to Theria than to monotremes. They are considered to be closely related to Euharamiyida and Gondwanatheria as part of Allotheria.

Multituberculata

Jørn H. Hurum and Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Also called
multituberculatePBDB
Sits inside
AllotheriaPBDB
Diet
herbivorePBDB
Life habit
arborealPBDB
Motility
actively mobilePBDB, for Osteichthyes
Environment
terrestrialPBDB, for Mammalia

Time the record covers

At least 164 million years on record.

The record covers at least 201.4 Mya to 37 Mya. No occurrence read is dated outside 205.7 Mya to 33.9 Mya.

Late Triassic — about 2 of 2126 occurrencesEarly Jurassic — about 1 of 2126 occurrencesEarly JurassicMiddle Jurassic — about 12 of 2126 occurrencesLate Jurassic — about 89 of 2126 occurrencesLate JurassicEarly Cretaceous — about 94 of 2126 occurrencesEarly CretaceousLate Cretaceous — about 994 of 2126 occurrencesLate CretaceousPaleocene — about 789 of 2126 occurrencesEocene — about 145 of 2126 occurrencesEoceneOligocene — about 0 of 2126 occurrences209–203 Mya — about 1 occurrence203–197 Mya — about 0.8 occurrences185–179 Mya — about 0.4 occurrences179–173 Mya — about 0.4 occurrences173–167 Mya — about 3 occurrences167–161 Mya — about 9 occurrences161–156 Mya — about 0.9 occurrences156–150 Mya — about 53 occurrences150–144 Mya — about 34 occurrences144–138 Mya — about 23 occurrences138–132 Mya — about 5 occurrences132–126 Mya — about 2 occurrences126–120 Mya — about 35 occurrences120–114 Mya — about 13 occurrences114–108 Mya — about 9 occurrences108–102 Mya — about 7 occurrences102–96 Mya — about 62 occurrences96–90 Mya — about 41 occurrences90–84 Mya — about 28 occurrences84–78 Mya — about 175 occurrences78–72 Mya — about 185 occurrences72–66 Mya — about 489 occurrences66–60 Mya — about 512 occurrences60–54 Mya — about 335 occurrences54–48 Mya — about 84 occurrences48–42 Mya — about 4 occurrences42–36 Mya — about 9 occurrences36–30 Mya — about 7 occurrences201.4 Mya37 Mya209 Mya30 Mya

2,126 occurrences of Multituberculata on record, most of them in the Late Cretaceous. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

2,126 occurrences

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. More on what this infers.

Found in

156 formations

Hell Creek — 47.63°N, 106.20°WHell Creek — 47.55°N, 107.13°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.00°WHell Creek — 47.80°N, 106.10°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 106.98°WHell Creek — 46.30°N, 104.50°WHell Creek — 47.57°N, 107.10°WHell Creek — 45.50°N, 103.10°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 106.40°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 106.38°WHell Creek — 47.58°N, 106.30°WHell Creek — 47.55°N, 107.25°WHell Creek — 47.87°N, 106.18°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 107.18°WHell Creek — 47.53°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.65°N, 106.20°WHell Creek — 47.07°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.10°N, 104.80°WHell Creek — 47.70°N, 106.55°WHell Creek — 45.40°N, 105.60°WHell Creek — 46.10°N, 103.30°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.23°WHell Creek — 47.68°N, 106.43°WHell Creek — 46.90°N, 101.50°WHell Creek — 47.83°N, 106.18°WHell Creek — 45.98°N, 103.75°WHell Creek — 46.41°N, 103.94°WHell Creek — 46.38°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 45.95°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 46.14°N, 103.80°WHell Creek — 46.33°N, 103.90°WHell Creek — 46.46°N, 104.00°WHell Creek — 45.94°N, 103.95°WHell Creek — 47.62°N, 107.32°WHell Creek — 47.61°N, 106.90°WHell Creek — 45.76°N, 104.92°WHell Creek — 45.66°N, 105.08°WHell Creek — 45.53°N, 101.63°WHell Creek — 45.00°N, 103.19°WFort Union — 47.60°N, 107.00°WFort Union — 47.10°N, 104.80°WFort Union — 47.80°N, 106.10°WFort Union — 43.85°N, 108.35°WFort Union — 44.30°N, 109.00°WFort Union — 46.05°N, 104.48°WFort Union — 45.80°N, 104.40°WFort Union — 41.70°N, 109.00°WFort Union — 41.30°N, 107.74°WFort Union — 45.80°N, 109.80°WFort Union — 46.90°N, 101.50°WFort Union — 46.90°N, 103.90°WFort Union — 45.80°N, 110.50°WFort Union — 44.72°N, 108.38°WFort Union — 44.68°N, 108.32°WFort Union — 43.70°N, 108.70°WFort Union — 44.89°N, 108.93°WFort Union — 43.20°N, 107.10°WFort Union — 45.10°N, 106.90°WFort Union — 45.40°N, 105.60°WFort Union — 44.50°N, 108.00°WFort Union — 43.45°N, 109.16°WFort Union — 41.92°N, 108.56°WFort Union — 44.72°N, 108.62°WFort Union — 44.67°N, 108.46°WFort Union — 39.27°N, 108.18°WFort Union — 41.66°N, 107.80°WFort Union — 44.85°N, 108.74°WFort Union — 44.91°N, 108.96°WFort Union — 44.81°N, 108.83°WFort Union — 47.60°N, 106.20°WFort Union — 41.83°N, 108.60°WLance — 43.18°N, 104.53°WLance — 43.00°N, 104.50°WLance — 43.10°N, 104.60°WLance — 41.57°N, 108.67°WLance — 43.15°N, 104.57°WLance — 43.25°N, 104.65°WLance — 44.94°N, 108.85°WLance — 43.13°N, 104.49°WLance — 43.25°N, 104.52°WLance — 43.80°N, 104.62°WLance — 45.04°N, 108.80°WLance — 41.57°N, 108.65°WLance — 44.24°N, 109.02°WPaskapoo — 51.00°N, 114.10°WPaskapoo — 51.90°N, 113.30°WPaskapoo — 53.23°N, 114.70°WPaskapoo — 52.40°N, 113.80°WPaskapoo — 52.20°N, 113.70°WPaskapoo — 51.10°N, 114.50°WPaskapoo — 51.18°N, 114.43°WPaskapoo — 52.00°N, 114.30°WPaskapoo — 52.23°N, 113.63°WPaskapoo — 51.50°N, 112.30°WPaskapoo — 52.35°N, 113.77°WPaskapoo — 54.80°N, 115.46°WPaskapoo — 51.20°N, 112.50°WPaskapoo — 51.05°N, 114.15°WWillwood — 44.78°N, 108.97°WWillwood — 43.95°N, 107.57°WWillwood — 44.50°N, 108.00°WWillwood — 44.00°N, 108.00°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.54°WWillwood — 44.30°N, 109.00°WWillwood — 44.77°N, 109.08°WWillwood — 44.54°N, 108.65°WWillwood — 44.59°N, 108.41°WWillwood — 44.66°N, 108.53°WWillwood — 44.68°N, 108.73°WWillwood — 44.58°N, 108.62°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.78°WWillwood — 44.76°N, 108.88°WWillwood — 44.16°N, 107.87°WCedar Mountain — 39.00°N, 111.00°WCedar Mountain — 38.66°N, 111.24°WCedar Mountain — 38.94°N, 111.08°WOldman — 50.78°N, 110.50°WOldman — 49.30°N, 110.60°WOldman — 50.50°N, 110.30°WOldman — 50.90°N, 111.80°WOldman — 49.08°N, 110.68°WOldman — 49.14°N, 110.85°WOldman — 49.10°N, 110.94°WOldman — 49.16°N, 110.72°WOldman — 50.75°N, 111.51°WOldman — 50.83°N, 111.32°WOldman — 50.75°N, 111.41°WJudith River — 46.42°N, 109.27°WJudith River — 48.92°N, 110.58°WJudith River — 46.46°N, 109.41°WJudith River — 48.57°N, 109.68°WJudith River — 47.81°N, 109.59°WJudith River — 46.10°N, 109.10°WJudith River — 47.79°N, 108.94°WRavenscrag — 49.50°N, 109.20°WRavenscrag — 49.60°N, 108.70°WRavenscrag — 49.70°N, 110.10°WRavenscrag — 49.06°N, 102.75°WRavenscrag — 49.30°N, 108.42°WWahweap — 37.59°N, 112.90°WWahweap — 37.60°N, 111.35°WWahweap — 37.56°N, 112.28°WWahweap — 37.63°N, 112.12°WMorrison — 40.42°N, 109.21°WMorrison — 41.88°N, 105.89°WMorrison — 41.89°N, 106.00°WMorrison — 41.99°N, 106.08°WMorrison — 38.54°N, 105.19°WMorrison — 38.32°N, 108.83°WMorrison — 44.49°N, 107.88°WMorrison — 44.46°N, 104.73°WMorrison — 40.50°N, 109.17°WMorrison — 39.15°N, 108.77°WMorrison — 38.58°N, 108.40°WMorrison — 38.99°N, 109.27°WWasatch — 41.80°N, 110.70°WWasatch — 41.27°N, 110.33°WWasatch — 43.25°N, 110.42°WWasatch — 41.70°N, 109.00°WWasatch — 40.60°N, 108.10°WWasatch — 42.24°N, 110.19°WAlcobaça — 39.70°N, 8.80°WNacimiento — 36.30°N, 108.20°WNacimiento — 36.31°N, 108.00°WNacimiento — 35.70°N, 107.00°WNacimiento — 36.57°N, 107.97°WNacimiento — 36.27°N, 107.76°WDinosaur Park — 49.12°N, 110.47°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.46°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.50°WDinosaur Park — 50.81°N, 111.58°WDinosaur Park — 50.78°N, 111.33°WDinosaur Park — 50.76°N, 111.37°WDinosaur Park — 51.44°N, 110.39°WDinosaur Park — 51.47°N, 110.39°WDinosaur Park — 52.45°N, 109.17°WDinosaur Park — 50.68°N, 108.09°WDjadokhta — 44.16°N, 103.69°EDjadokhta — 43.66°N, 100.90°EDjadokhta — 44.25°N, 103.33°EDjadokhta — 44.13°N, 103.56°EDjadokhta — 42.08°N, 102.17°EDjadokhta — 44.00°N, 104.00°EDjadokhta — 44.09°N, 102.91°EDjadokhta — 44.23°N, 103.29°EMilk River — 49.10°N, 111.80°WNaturita — 37.40°N, 111.20°WNaturita — 37.80°N, 111.50°WNaturita — 37.65°N, 112.97°WFerris — 41.94°N, 106.88°WFerris — 41.80°N, 107.00°WFerris — 41.96°N, 106.89°WFrenchman — 49.50°N, 109.10°WFrenchman — 49.40°N, 107.40°WFrenchman — 49.30°N, 108.40°WFrenchman — 49.50°N, 109.20°WKaiparowits — 37.40°N, 111.20°WKaiparowits — 37.80°N, 111.50°WPorcupine Hills — 51.00°N, 114.10°WPorcupine Hills — 51.10°N, 114.28°WPorcupine Hills — 51.21°N, 114.04°WPorcupine Hills — 51.10°N, 114.22°WAguja — 29.20°N, 103.20°WAguja — 29.32°N, 103.52°WAguja — 29.10°N, 103.17°WAguja — 29.30°N, 103.57°WScollard — 52.33°N, 113.12°WScollard — 51.91°N, 112.97°WScollard — 51.80°N, 113.00°W

Loading coastlines…

The named rock units Multituberculata has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. 132 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 113 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Multituberculata and its relatives

Late Cretaceous

Where Multituberculata and its relatives were recorded in the Late Cretaceous.

Found in the same rock

897 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records at least 796 sites for Multituberculata, and this reads 240 of them. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

417 references

Each of the 2,126 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. 405 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content3

Picture of Multituberculata

Credit
Jørn H. Hurum and Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska
Licence
CC BY 2.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

CT scan

Licence
In Copyright
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record
Specimen
Kinyongia multituberculata · CAS:HERP:168927

3D model

Source
Sketchfab
Credit
SorbonNum
Licence
CC Attribution
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

Everything alive alongside itAllotheria through timeFormations of the Late CretaceousThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. (Cope 1884)