Deltatheroida

The following is a species list of Deltatheroida. †Deltatheroida Kielan-Jaworowska 1982 [Deltatheralia Marshall & Kielan-Jaworowska 1992; Holarctidelphia Szalay 1993] • †Pappotheriidae • †Pappotherium • †Deltatheridiidae Gregory & Simpson 1926 [Deltatheridia Van Valen 1965; Nanocuridae Fox, Scott & Bryant 2007; Sulestinae Nessov 1985; Deltatheroididae Kielan-Jaworowska & Nesov 1990] • †Hyotheridium dobsoni Gregory & Simpson 1926 • †Lotheridium mengi Bi et al. 2015 • †Nanocuris improvida Fox, Scott & Bryant 2007 • †Prodeltitheridium kalandadze Trofimov 1984 • †Oklatheridium Davis, Cifelli & Kielan-Jaworowska 2008 • †O. szalayi Davis, Cifelli & Kielan-Jaworowska 2008 • †O. minax Davis & Cifelli 2011 • †O. wiblei Cifelli & Davis 2015 • †Atokatheridium boreni Kielan-Jaworowska & Cifelli 2001 • †Deltatheridium Gregory & Simpson 1926 • †D. pretrituberculare Gregory & Simpson 1926 • †D. nesovi Averianov 1997 • †Sulestes karakshi Nesov 1985 [Deltatherus Nesov 1997; Marsasia Nesov 1997; Deltatheroides kizylkumensis Nesov 1993; Deltatherus kizylkumensis (Nesov 1993) Nesov 1997; Marsasia aenigma Nesov 1997] • †Tsagandelta dashzevegi Rougier, Davis & Novacek 2015 • †Deltatheroides cretacicus Gregory & Simpson 1926 • †Gurbanodelta kara Ni et al. 2016 ==Biology==

Deltatheroideans are thought to be carnivorous mammals, converging on hyaenodontids, oxyaenids, carnivorans, dasyuromorphs and sparassodonts in many details of their dental anatomy, suggesting a carnivorous lifestyle. Deltatheroideans in this regard appear to have replaced eutriconodont mammals as the dominant carnivorous mammals of the Mesozoic, either directly through competition or occupying vacant ecological niches; in North America, Nanocuris came to succeed the larger gobiconodontids and Jugulator, while in Asia the Early Cretaceous gobiconodontid radiation is replaced in the Late Cretaceous by a deltatheroidean one. Given that all insectivorous and carnivorous mammals groups suffered heavy losses during the mid-Cretaceous, it seems likely these metatherians simply occupied niches left after the extinction of most eutriconodonts. Evidence of direct predation on dinosaurs may be attested on a skull belonging to Archaeornithoides, which seems to have been punctured by Deltatheridium teeth and later healed. ==See also==