page_title: Aleodon
section_title: Dentition
hierarchical_section_title: Aleodon / Description / Dentition
caption_attribution_description: English: Lateral view of Aleodon skull from Tanzania with scale bar.
context_page_description: Aleodon is an extinct genus of cynodonts that lived from the Middle to the Late Triassic. Relatively few analyses have been conducted to identify the phylogenetic placement of Aleodon, however those that have place Aleodon as a sister taxon to Chiniquodon. Two species of Aleodon are recognized: A. brachyramphus which was discovered in Tanzania, and A. cromptoni which was discovered most recently in Brazil.
  The name for the genus Aleodon was created when Alfred W. Crompton initially discovered the type species, Aleodon brachyramphus. The genus name, "Aleodon" referred to the grinding nature of the postcanine teeth, while "brachyramphus" referred to the relatively short snout of the specimen. The most recently discovered species, A. cromptoni was named after Alfred W. "Fuzz" Crompton, who originally described the genus Aleodon.
context_section_description: The dentition of Aleodon is the most significant morphological feature to distinguish it against other genera. Crompton pointed out three distinct regions of the postcanine row: anterior circular, transversely expanded ovate, and sectorial posterior teeth (described as “shearing” by Crompton). These three regions of post canines were very similar to a well-known gomphodont, Diademodon tetragonus (which led Crompton to believe that Aleodon was part of Gomphodonta). Crompton also noted that Aleodon uniquely possessed two incisors on the lower jaw which differs from most cynodonts which primitively had four.
  Based on more fossils, Aleodon was also found to have a long secondary palate, a characteristic that was shared with members of the monophyletic group Chiniquodontidae and resulted in Aleodon's reidentification to Probainognathia from Gomphodonta. Shortly after, specimens of Aleodon showed the possession of well-developed lingual cingular platforms on the post canines. This finding resulted in some researchers removing Aleodon from Chiniquodontidae due to the group not characterized in possessing well-developed lingual cingular platforms. The lingual cingular platform that is expanded in both labiolingual and mesiodistal dimensions relative to the labial portion of the crown is also the most developed of all Triassic Probainognathians. These observations led some researchers to believe that Aleodon (along with Candelariodon) may be specimens that exhibit the gradual development of the cingular platform.
caption: Lateral view of Aleodon skull.
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