Dryolestida Fossil range: Jurassic-Tertiary
Scientific classification
Class:	Mammalia
(Unranked) :	Holotheria
Subclass:	Theriiformes
Superorder:	Dryolestoidea
(Unranked) :	Trechnotheria
Order:	Dryolestida Prothero, 1981
Subdivisions:	Peligrotherium †Dryolestidae Dryolestes Amblotherium Crusafontia Groebertherium Guimarotodus Krebsotherium Laolestes Leonardus Peraspalax Phascolestes Portopinheirodon †Paurodontidae Paurodon Araeodon Archaeotrigon ?Brancatherulum Comotherium Dorsetodon Drescheratherium Euthlastus Foxraptor Henkelotherium Pelicopsis Tathiodon †Donodontidae Donodon †Mesungulatidae Mesungulatum Quirogatherium †Reigitheriidae Reigitherium †Brandoniidae Brandonia Barberenia Casamiquelia

Dryolestida is an extinct order of mammals known from the Jurassic and Tertiary. It has been suggested that these mammals are either the possible ancestors of therian mammals or an offshoot from the same evolutionary line. It is also believed that they developed a fully mammalian jaw and also had the three middle ear bones. Other than that, not much is know about them, this is because their fossils are made up mostly of jaw and tooth remains.

The dryolestids were formerly considered part of Pantotheria and/or Eupantotheria. The clade Quirogatheria, erected by José Bonaparte in 1992, is often used as a synonym for Dryolestida. Originally, Quirogatheria was meant to include Brandoniidae, but this family is now included with the dryolestids.

External linksEdit

• http://www.answers.com/topic/dryolestida

Further readingEdit

• Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Richard L. Cifelli, and Zhe-Xi Luo, Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: Origins, Evolution, and Structure (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004), 14, 379-393.

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Prehistoric World page 344.