Kryptobaatar

Kryptobaatar^[1] ("hidden hero," from Greek: kryptos, "hidden," and Mongolian: baatar, "hero" or "athlete") and also known as Gobiaatar, Gobibaatar ("Gobi hero")^[2] or Tugrigbaatar^[3] is an extinct mammalian genus dating from the Upper Cretaceous Period and identified in Central Asia. This animal was a member of the extinct order of Multituberculata within the suborder Cimolodonta, and was a member of the family Djadochtatheriidae. It lived contemporaneously with some of the dinosaurs. Its skull had a length of perhaps 3 cm.

Species identified

• Kryptobaatar dashzevegi (Kielan-Jaworowska Z, 1970). At Djadokhta Formation, Ukhaa Tolgod and Tögrög Shiree, Mongolia. Age: lower Campanian or Upper Cretaceous. The skull has a length of perhaps 3 cm. The front teeth look impressively sharp and not much like those of a strict vegetarian.
• Kryptobaatar gobiensis, also known as Gobibaatar parvus (Kielan-Jaworowska Z, 1970), from the Upper Cretaceous, from the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.
• Kryptobaatar mandahuensis Smith T, Guo D-Y & Sun Y, 2001. It is from the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) strata of the Bayan Mandahu red beds, Inner Mongolia, China. Based on several well-preserved skulls. This location is about the same age as the Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia.
• Kryptobaatar saichanensis (Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Dashzeveg D, 1978), also known as Tugrigbaatar saichanensis (Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Dashzeveg D. 1978) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia.

Notes

1. ^ Kielan-Jaworowska Z, 1970
2. ^ Kielan-Jaworowska Z, 1970
3. ^ Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Dashzeveg D, 1978. "Gobibaatar has page priority but was selected as the junior synonym by Kielan-Jaworowska in 1980," (McKenna & Bell, 1997)

References

• Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Hurum JH (2001), "Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals". Paleontology 44, p.389-429.
• McKenna MC & Bell SK, (1997), Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press.
• MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Djadochtatherioidea, an Internet directory.
• Kielan-Jaworowska (1970), New Upper Cretaceous multituberculate genera from Bayn Dzak, Gobi Desert. In: Kielan-Jaworowska (ed.), Results of the Polish-Mongolian Palaeontological Expeditions, pt. II. Palaeontologica Polonica 21, p.35-49.