Multituberculates are the best represented mammals of the Late Cretaceous in Asia and most of them are from Outer Mongolia. The djadochtatherioidean multituberculate Kr)ptobaut~im- andihuensis n. sp. is described on the basis of two skulls froin the Upper Cretaccous localiiy of Bayan Mandaliu (Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China). The main characters that differentiate it from tlie type species K. dashzevegi Kielan-Jaworowska, 1970 are: the base of the zygomatic arch situated at the level of tlie anterior root of the P4 and the narrow anterior extent of the orbit, the "V" shape of the palatoinaxillary suture between the tlvo major palatine fonmina, the high and thick part of the dentary under the mandibular diastema. the long and low part of the dentary iinder the mandibular notch, the anteroposteriorly short coronoid process. the presence of 5 cusps on the middle row of Ml and on the labial row of ml, the long p4. the Iiigh ratio p4:ml length, and the robust il. The presence of this species in lnner Mongolia extends the palacogeographical distribution area of the djadochtatherioideans to the soutliern part of the Gobi Basin. Neveiiheless, morphological differences between K. tnandahitensis from lnner Mongolia and K. dushzevegi from Outer Mongolia suggest a palaeogeographical isolation within the Djadochtatherioidea group during the Campanian.

RBINS Publication(s), Peer Review

Paleontology