pantothere

fossil mammal

Also known as: Pantotheria

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Pantotheres were a group of generalized mammals that lived during the Jurassic period, approximately 176 to 161 million years ago. They are considered to be ancestral to both marsupials and placental mammals, representing the stock from which all later higher mammals evolved.12

Amphitherium is an example of an early pantothere, known from fossilized lower jaws found in Europe. These early mammals were characterized by their distinctive teeth. The term "pantothere" refers to a mammal or fossil belonging to the order Pantotheria.13

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Amphitherium
…the earliest representative of the pantotheres, a group of early mammals that, it is believed, represents the stock that gave rise to all the higher mammals of later times. Amphitherium is known from a lower jaw found in Europe and is characterized by the large number and distinctive structure of…
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…the earliest representative of the pantotheres, a group of early mammals that, it is believed, represents the stock that gave rise to all the higher mammals of later times. Amphitherium is known from a lower jaw found in Europe and is characterized by the large number and distinctive structure of…
Read More