Eobaataridae


Eobaataridae is a family of fossil mammal within the order Multituberculata. Remains are known from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Asia. These herbivores thus lived during the Mesozoic era, also known as the "age of the dinosaurs". They were among the most derived representatives of the informal suborder "Plagiaulacida".
In this case of one taxon, remains are reasonably well known. This refers to Sinobaatar from the extraordinary Chinese locality of Liaoning. They were close relatives of the Plagiaulacidae, while the second upper molar has similarities to ones known from the informal Paracimexomys group within the more derived suborder, Cimolodonta.
The recently described Indobaatar from the Early Jurassic Kota Formation is the earliest known multituberculate, let alone the earliest eobaatarid, and may stretch the eobaatarid-cimolodontan group much earlier than previously thought.
Genus Teutonodon is the first Jurassic mammal discovered in Germany.
Fossils of Jeholbaatar kielanae seem to show a small bone from the lower jaw on its way to becoming part of the middle ear.

Etymology

The name "Eobaatar" means "dawn hero".