Taeniolabis is a mammal genus from the Paleocene of North America. It is the largest known member of the extinct order, Multituberculata, reaching weights of perhaps 30 kilos.
Genus: Taeniolabis Cope ED, 1882
Species: Taeniolabis lamberti Simmons NB, 1987
Species: Taeniolabis taoensis (Cope ED, 1882)
Page reference: Kielan-Jaworowska Z & Hurum JH (2001), Phylogeny and Systematics of multituberculate mammals. Paleontology 44, p.389-429.
(This information is derived from [1] (http://home.arcor.de/ktdykes/taenio.htm) MESOZOIC MAMMALS; Eucosmodontidae, Microcosmodontidae and Taeniolabidoidea, an internet directory. As that's my webpage, there are no issues of copyright. Trevor Dykes)
Taeniolabis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum Therapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Multituberculata
Superfamily: Taeniolabidoidea
Genus: Taeniolabis Species
T. lamberti
T. taoensis
Ref.
For the technically minded, this animal is within the suborder of Cimolodonta, and a member of the superfamily Taeniolabidoidea.
Aka: Catopsalis (partly).; Polymastodon (partly) Cope, 1882
Reference: Cope (1882), Mammalia in the Laramie Formation. American Naturalist, 16, p.830-831.
Place: Tullock Formation, Montana
Country: USA
Age: Puercan, Paleocene
Remarks: Not quite as large as T. taoensis, but still a hefty size for a multituberculate.
Reference: Simmons (1987), A revision of Taeniolabis (Mammalia: Multituberculata), with a new species from the Puercan of eastern Montana. J. of Paleont. 61(4), p.794-808.
Aka: Catopsalis pollux Cope, 1882b; Polymastodon attenuatus Cope, 1885; P. latimolis Cope, 1885; P. selenodus Osborn HF & Earle C, 1895; P. taoensis Cope, 1882; T. attetuatus; T. scalper Cope 1884; T. sulcatus Cope 1882a; T. triserialis Granger & Simpson, 1929
Place: Nacimiento Formation, New Mexico, Wyoming & Ravenscrag Formation, Saskatchewan
Country: USA & Canada
Age: Puercan, Paleocene
Remarks: Had a six inch long skull, (aka 16cm). Sumo-super-heavyweight. The largest known multi, this critter was as big as a beaver.
References: Cope (1882), A new genus of Taeniodonta. Amer. Naturalist xvi, p.604-605.
Osborn & Earle (1895), Fossil mammals of the Puerco beds. Collection of 1892. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. vii, p.1-70, with 21 figs.
Granger & Simpson (1929), A revision of the Tertiary Multituberculata. Bulletin Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 56, p.601-676, 43 figs.
Simons NB (1986), Taeniolabis Cope, 1882 (Mammalia, Multituberculata),: proposed designation of Polymastodon taoensis Cope, 1882 as type species. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 43(3), p.310-311.