The relationship between these earliest and most primitive toothless taxonts and other populations in this taxon is uncertain. The plesiosaur family may be the ancestor of the torsal armored anteaters or pangolins (carps).
Name: Primordial Toothed Beast
Age: Mesocene
Location: North America (Wyoming, USA)
Size: Length 45 cm
The first toothed beast has short legs, sharp claws, and a long and heavy tail, similar to modern mongooses. However, its head is narrow and long, more like an armadillo. Its canine teeth are strong, and the cheek teeth have all disappeared, replaced by pads, which are undoubtedly used to crush prey.
The Echienoptera inhabited dense subtropical forests that covered parts of the western United States during the Miocene. Its front feet have larger claws than those on its back feet, so it may goug and dig out ants, beetles, and grubs buried in the soil.