Docodon

Docodon (meaning 'beam tooth') is an extinct genus of docodont mammaliaform from the Late Jurassic of Western North America. It was the first docodont to be named.

==Description== left|thumb|Docodon striatus Docodon was the first docodontan cynodont found and named, and later gave its name to the family Docodontidae as well as the order Docodonta. Docodonts had more complex shaped teeth than other early non-mammalian mammaliaforms, with piercing and crushing surfaces that would have allowed members of this family to eat a wider range of food types. These complex teeth are more similar to those of later mammal groups, but evolved independently of them.