Triconodon

Triconodon ("three-coned tooth") is a genus of extinct mammal from the Early Cretaceous of England and France with two known species: T. mordax and T. averianovi.

First described in 1859 by Richard Owen,[1] it is the type genus for the order Triconodonta, a group of mammals characterised by their three-cusped (triconodont) molar teeth.

[1] Since then, several other specimens have been found in this region, mostly represented by skulls and jaws, making it the most common mammal fossils in this area of Britain.

[8] Like most eutriconodonts, Triconodon was probably a carnivore, its triconodont teeth being well adapted for shearing, and possessing other speciations such as long canines and powerful jaw musculature.

[10] Triconodon is one of the few Mesozoic mammals with direct evidence of tooth eruption, thanks to a broad ontogenetic range presented by the specimens.