Saxonella is one of five families within the superfamily Plesiadapoidae, which appears in the fossil record from the mid Paleocene to the early Eocene.

The type species for the genus Saxonella is S. crepaturae, which was discovered in fissure fillings in Walbeck, Germany in 1964; the holotype consisting of a lower jaw preserving the first incisor, third premolar, and first molar.

S. naylori was first discovered in the Paskapoo Formation in Alberta, Canada in 1984; the holotype specimen consisting of a lower jaw preserving the first incisor, third and fourth premolars, and the first molar.

[2] This morphology is not homologous with the lower fourth premolar found in members of the family Carpolestidae and is indicative of evolutionary convergence.

[3] This evidence suggests a significant gap in the fossil record, as there must have been ancestors of Saxonella that did not have specialized central incisors or premolars for shearing, as well as lacking a post-incisor lower diastema.

[2] Due to similarities in the faunas of Europe and North America during this time, it is clear that there were land bridges between the two continents.

[4] Fossils of Saxonella discovered in Europe and North America are additional evidence of a land bridge between the two continents.

[5] Saxonellids likely originated in North America before the middle Tiffanian; their main direction of travel across land bridges was likely west to east.

[4] Analysis of the lower incisor of Saxonella reveals wear patterns similar to those found in primate fossils that utilized tooth combs for grooming.