multituberculate
/ˌmʌltɪtjuːˈbəːkjʊlət
/noun
A small primitive fossil mammal of a mainly Cretaceous and Palaeocene order, distinguished by having molar teeth with several cusps arranged in two or three rows.
- Order Multituberculata, subclass Allotheria.
- Well-represented dentitions and skulls are also known for some of the earliest and most primitive multituberculates, from the Late Jurassic of Portugal.
- Paleocene faunas were dominated by what we refer to as archaic mammals: condylarths (archaic ungulates), archaic primates, small rodent-like multituberculates, pantodonts, and others.
Origin
Late 19th century: from modern Latin Multituberculata, from multi- 'many' + Latin tuberculum 'tubercle'.