Pantotheria

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Pantotheria is an abandoned taxon of Mesozoic mammals. This group is now considered an informal "wastebasket" taxon and has been replaced by Dryolestida as well as other groups. It is sometimes treated as an infraclass and older books refer to it as being related to symmetrodonts. One classification makes it an infraclass with a single order, Eupantotheria.

Taxonomy List of mammals that were at one time included in the group Pantotheria

Genus †Tribactonodon bonfieldi Sigogneau-Russell, Hooker & Ensom 2001 Genus †Paraungulatum rectangularis Bonaparte 1999 Genus †Argaliatherium robustum Cifelli & Davis 2015 Genus †Carinalestes murensis Cifelli & Davis 2015 Genus †Hypomylos Sigogneau-Russell 1992 Family †Picopsidae Fox 1980 Genus †Picopsis pattersoni Fox 1980 Genus †Tirotherium aptum Montellano-Ballesteros & Fox 2015 Family †Casamiqueliidae Bonaparte 1999 Genus †Casamiquelia rionegrina Bonaparte 1990 Genus †Rougiertherium tricuspes Bonaparte 1999 Genus †Alamitherium bishopi Bonaparte 1999 Family †Brandoniidae Bonaparte 1992 Genus †Brandonia intermedia Bonaparte 1992 Family †Donodontidae Sigogneau-Russell 1991 Genus †Donodon presciptoris Sigogneau-Russell 1991 Family †Paurodontidae Marsh 1887 Genus †Brancatherulum tendagurense Dietrich, 1927 Genus †Comotherium richi Prothero 1981 Genus †Dorsetodon haysomi Ensom & Sigogneau-Russell 1998 Genus †Drescheratherium acutum Krebs 1998 Genus †Euthlastus cordiformis Simpson 1927 Genus †Henkelotherium guimarotae Krebs 1991 Genus †Paurodon valens Marsh 1887 Genus †Tathiodon agilis (Simpson 1927) Simpson 1927 [Tanaodon Simpson 1927 non Kirk 1927; Tanaodon agilis Simpson 1927] Family †Vincelestidae Bonaparte 1986 Genus †Vincelestes neuquenianus Bonaparte 1986 Order †Spalacotheriida Prothero 1981 [Spalacotheroidea Prothero 1981; Quirogatheria Bonaparte 1992] Genus †Maotherium Rougier, Ji & Novacek 2003 †M. sinensis Rougier, Ji & Novacek 2003 †M. asiaticus Ji et al. 2009 Family †Thereuodontidae Sigogneau-Russell 1998 Genus †Thereuodon Sigogneau-Russell 1987 †T. dahmanii Sigogneau-Russell 1987 †T. taraktes Sigogneau-Russell & Ensom 1998 Order †Meridiolestida Rougier, Apesteguia & Gaetano 2011 Genus †Leonardus cuspidatus Bonaparte 1990 Genus †Cronopio dentiacutus Rougier, Apesteguia & Gaetano 2011 Family †Necrolestidae Ameghino 1894 Genus †Necrolestes Ameghino 1894 sensu Rougier et al. 2012 †N. patagonensis Ameghino 1891 †N. mirabilis Goin et al. 2007 Family †Reigitheriidae Bonaparte 1990 Genus †Reigitherium bunodontum Bonaparte 1990 Family †Peligotheriidae Bonaparte, Van Valen & Kramartz 1993 Genus †Peligrotherium Bonaparte, Van Valen & Kramartz 1993 Family †Mesungulatidae Bonaparte 1986 sensu Rougier et al. 2009 Genus †Coloniatherium Rougier et al. 2009 Genus †Quirogatherium Bonaparte 1990 Genus †Mesungulatum Bonaparte & Soria 1985 Order †Dryolestida Prothero 1981 sensu stricto Rougier et al. 2012 Family †Barbereniidae Bonaparte 1990 Genus †Barberenia Bonaparte 1990 †B. araujoae Bonaparte 1990 †B. allenensis Rougier et al. 2008 Family †Dryolestidae Marsh 1879 Genus †Anthracolestes Averianov, Martin & Lopatin 2014 Genus †Guimarotodus Martin 1999 Genus †Krebsotherium Martin 1999 Genus †Phascolestes Owen 1871 Genus †Lakotalestes luoi Cifelli, Davis & Sames 2014 Genus †Laolestes Simpson 1927 Genus †Achyrodon Owen 1871 Genus †Amblotherium Owen 1871 Genus †Dryolestes Marsh 1878 Genus †Portopinheirodon Martin 1999 Genus †Kurtodon Osborn 1887 Genus †Crusafontia Henkel & Krebs 1969 Genus †Groeberitherium Bonaparte 1986 Order †Amphitheriida Prothero 1981 Family †Amphitheriidae Owen 1846 Genus †Amphibetulimus Lopatin & Averianov 2007 Genus †Amphitherium de Blainville 1838 Order †Peramurida McKenna 1975 Family †Peramuridae Kretzoi 1946 Genus †Kiyatherium cardiodens Maschenko, Lopatin & Voronkevich 2002 Genus †Tendagurutherium dietrichi Heinrich 1998 Genus †Peramuroides tenuiscus Davis 2012 Genus †Kouriogenys minor (Owen 1871) Davis 2012 [Spalacotherium minus Owen 1871] Genus †Peramus Owen 1871 Genus †Palaeoxonodon Freeman 1976 Genus †Abelodon Brunet et al. 1991 Genus †Pocamus Canudo & Cuenca-Bescós 1996

References

External links http://taxonomicon.taxonomy.nl/TaxonTree.aspx?id=59655&tree=0.1&syn=1 http://www.answers.com/pantotheria

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pantotheria

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pantotheria claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, 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 Pantotheria 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 Pantotheria 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 Pantotheria

In research: Pantotheria appears in science 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 Pantotheria 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: Pantotheria is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fossil taxa described in 1880, Jurassic extinctions, Jurassic first appearances, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pantotheria 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.

How to study Pantotheria in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pantotheria 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 Pantotheria out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pantotheria in simple terms?

Pantotheria is an abandoned taxon of Mesozoic mammals. This group is now considered an informal "wastebasket" taxon and has been replaced by Dryolestida as well as other groups.

Why does Pantotheria matter?

Because it connects several science 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 Pantotheria?

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 Pantotheria.