biology

Novaculadon

Novaculadon is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Novaculadon rather than just read about it. In short: Novaculadon (meaning "razor tooth") is an extinct genus of plagiaulacid multituberculate mammal known from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian age) Lulworth Formation of England. The genus contains a single species, Novaculadon mirabilis, known from a single left dentary (lower jaw bone) including the incisor, premolars 2-4, and two molar alveoli.

Key takeaways

Novaculadon belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Novaculadon to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Novaculadon from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Novaculadon (meaning "razor tooth") is an extinct genus of plagiaulacid multituberculate mammal known from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian age) Lulworth Formation of England. The genus contains a single species, Novaculadon mirabilis, known from a single left dentary (lower jaw bone) including the incisor, premolars 2-4, and two molar alveoli. The dentary is particularly robust in Novaculadon.

Taxonomy Novaculadon belongs to the family Plagiaulacidae, within the order Multituberculata.

Etymology The genus name derives from the Latin novācula ("razor") and Greek odous (ὀδούς, "tooth"), referring to the sharp crest formed by the premolars. The species epithet mirabilis, meaning "miraculous," refers to the exceptional preservation of the specimen.

Discovery The holotype, NHMUK PV M 119716, is a nearly complete left dentary preserving the lower incisor and three premolars (p2–p4), with alveoli for two molars. It was found in 2023 in a fallen block from the "Flint Bed" of the Cherty Freshwater Beds, Warbarrow Tout Member, Lulworth Formation at Durlston Bay, Dorset, part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The specimen was described and named in 2025 by Weston and colleagues. Novaculadon mirabilis is the first multituberculate jaw recovered from the Purbeck Group since the 19th century and the most complete to date. Unlike most Purbeck mammals, which are known only from isolated teeth, it preserves key anatomical details that distinguish it as a new genus within Plagiaulacidae. Its discovery increases the known diversity of multituberculates from the Berriasian of Europe, bringing the Purbeck assemblage to ten species in four families.

Description The dentary of the holotype is robust and deep beneath the fourth premolar (p4), with a large mental foramen and short, slightly dorsally curved symphysis. The dental formula is 1.0.3.2, with no evidence of a first premolar. The lower incisor is large, robust, recurved, and fully covered in enamel, with a pointed apex and evidence of continuous growth. The second and third premolars (p2 and p3) are relatively small, bearing three and four cusps respectively. The fourth premolar is elongate and blade-like, bearing eight cusps arranged in a shearing series, and lacks basal denticulation. The ratio of p4 to p3 length (2.16) exceeds that of related genera such as Bolodon. The diastema between the incisor and p2 is short and forms a dorsally concave notch. Vacant alveoli indicate the presence of two molars, both double-rooted. Distinctive features that differentiate Novaculadon from other plagiaulacids include the exceptional depth of the dentary below the fourth premolar, a shorter and more concave diastema, a boss-shaped mandibular condyle, and the unusual robustness and orientation of the lower incisor.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Novaculadon

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Novaculadon claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Novaculadon before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Novaculadon ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Novaculadon

In research: Novaculadon appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Novaculadon in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Novaculadon is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Berriasian genera, Early Cretaceous mammals of Europe, Fossil taxa described in 2025, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Novaculadon outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Novaculadon in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Novaculadon means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Novaculadon out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Novaculadon in simple terms?

Why does Novaculadon matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Novaculadon?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Novaculadon.