Kollikodon facts for kids

Kollikodon ritchiei was a very old type of mammal. It lived a long, long time ago, during the Cretaceous Period. Scientists know about it from a special fossil: a piece of its jaw with three teeth still attached. This amazing fossil was found in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia.

What is Kollikodon?

Kollikodon was a small, ancient mammal. It belonged to a group called monotremes. Today, there are only a few types of monotremes left. These include the platypus and echidnas.

An Ancient Egg-Laying Mammal

Monotremes are unique because they are mammals that lay eggs! Most mammals, like humans or dogs, give birth to live young. But monotremes lay soft-shelled eggs, much like birds or reptiles. After the eggs hatch, the babies drink milk from their mother, just like other mammals. Kollikodon helps us understand how these special egg-laying mammals evolved.

A Special Discovery in Australia

The only known fossil of Kollikodon ritchiei is a small piece of its jaw. This piece has one premolar tooth and two molar teeth. It was found in Lightning Ridge, Australia. This area is famous for its beautiful opals. Because of this, the fossilized jawbone and teeth are also made of opal!

Opalized Fossils: Nature's Jewels

Finding an opalized fossil is very rare and exciting. Opal forms when water rich in silica seeps into cracks in rocks. Over millions of years, this silica hardens into opal. Sometimes, if an animal or plant is buried in the right conditions, its remains can be replaced by opal. This turns the fossil into a sparkling, colorful gem. The Kollikodon teeth are a perfect example of this natural wonder.

Life in the Cretaceous Period

Kollikodon ritchiei lived during the Early Cretaceous Period. This was about 100 million years ago. At that time, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Australia was part of a supercontinent called Gondwana. The climate was different, and many plants and animals that we know today had not yet evolved. Kollikodon would have lived alongside various dinosaurs, ancient birds, and other early mammals.

What Its Teeth Tell Us

Scientists study fossils to learn about ancient life. The teeth of Kollikodon are very unusual. They have a unique shape, almost like a series of bumps or ridges. This special shape suggests that Kollikodon might have eaten soft-bodied animals. It might have eaten things like worms or insect larvae. Its teeth were probably good for crushing or grinding. Studying these teeth helps scientists guess what its diet was like. It also gives clues about how it lived in its ancient environment.

See also

In Spanish: Kollikodon para niños

Further Reading

• Flannery, T.F., Archer, M., Rich, T.H., Jones, R. (1995) "A new family of monotremes from the Cretaceous of Australia". Nature 377: 418-420.