Kimbetohia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kimbetohia |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Multituberculata |
| Family: | †Ptilodontidae |
| Genus: | †Kimbetohia Simpson, 1936 |
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Kimbetohia was a type of ancient mammal that is now extinct. It belonged to a group called Multituberculata, which were some of the earliest mammals. Kimbetohia lived a very long time ago, during the late Cretaceous period and the early Paleocene period, in what is now the United States.
What Was Kimbetohia?
Kimbetohia was a small mammal, similar to a rodent, but it lived long before modern rodents appeared. It was part of the Multituberculata group, which was a very successful group of mammals that lived for over 120 million years! They were among the first mammals to evolve alongside the dinosaurs.
Where Did Kimbetohia Live?
Scientists have found fossils of Kimbetohia in the United States. These fossils tell us that Kimbetohia lived in areas that are now New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.
The time periods when Kimbetohia lived are known as the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period and the Puercan stage of the early Paleocene period. The Cretaceous period ended about 66 million years ago, and the Paleocene period followed it.
Types of Kimbetohia
Scientists have identified two different species, or types, of Kimbetohia:
- Kimbetohia campi: This species was first described in 1936. Its fossils have been found in New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. These fossils were discovered in rock layers that formed during the late Cretaceous and early Paleocene periods.
- Kimbetohia mzaie: This second species was identified much later, in 2004. Fossils of K. mzaie have been found in Colorado. These fossils date back to the early Paleocene period.
