Pappotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Pappotherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 115 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 115 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 119.57–93.9 million years ago (Aptian to Cenomanian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Pappotheriidae |
| Named by | Slaughter 1965 |
| Fossil records | 14 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Antlers, Cloverly |
About Pappotherium
Pappotherium is an extinct genus of mammals from the Albian (early Cretaceous) of Texas, US, known from a fossilized maxilla fragment bearing two tribosphenic molars, discovered within the Glen Rose Formation near Decatur, Wise County, Texas.
The fossil was discovered by Bob H. Slaughter within some deposits dating back to 112.6 – 109 million years ago. On the basis of the morphology of the molars' cusps, in 1965 Slaughter established the new genus Pappotherium and the new species P. pattersoni; he also created an apposite family, Pappotheriidae. Both this family and the genus are nowadays still monotypic.
Slaughter argued that Pappotherium should have been a basal form close to the metatherian-eutherian divergence point; this mammal likely was an arboreal insectivore.
Etymologically speaking, the name Pappotherium is a compound of the Latin words pappus (from ancient Greek πάππος, páppos, "grandfather") and therium (from ancient Greek θηρίον, thēríon, "beast", a common suffix among extinct mammals), with the full meaning of "mammal-grandfather".
The second part of the unique species' name, pattersoni, was instead chosen in honor of the American paleontologist Bryan Patterson.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pappotherium (revision 1369619289), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q18158210.
