128 



AMERICAN MESOZOIC MAMMALIA 



A M.N 0.14169 



Type. — E. cuileri (Smith Woodward). 

 Distribution. — Belly River beds, Alberta, Canada. 



Eodelphis cutleri (Smith Woodward 1 9 1 6) 



May 30, 1916. Cimolestes cutleri, A. Smith Woodward, Abst. Zool. Soc, London, No. 158; 



Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 1916, p. 525. 

 July 24, 1926. Eodelfhis browni, Matthew, Bui. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., XXXV, 482. 

 1928. Eodelfhis cutleri, Simpson, Cat. Mes. Mam. Brit. Mus., p. 148. 



Type. — Brit. Mus. 

 M II 532. Most of dental 

 portion of right lower 

 jaw with crowns of P3 

 and M2-3. Fig'd, Smith 

 Woodward 191 6, fig. 

 i; Simpson 1928B, PI. 

 XII, figs. 1-3. 



Type of E. browni. 

 — Amer. Museum No. 

 1 4 1 69. Most of left lower 

 jaw, symphysial region 

 of right lower jaw, part 

 of left zygoma, and much 

 of left temporal region. Fig'd, Matthew 1916, figs. 1-2 and Pis. II-IV. 



Horizon and Locality. — Belly River formation. Sand Creek, Red Deer River, 

 Alberta. 



Diagnosis. — Sole known species of the genus. Length M1.4 about 18 mm. 



The type of this species has recently been redescribed in detail by the writer 

 (Simpson 1928B) and there is nothing to add to this account and the earlier one by Sir 

 Arthur Smith Woodward (191 6). The original reference to Cimolestes was largely on 

 the basis of resemblance to "Cimolestes" curtus. Matthew erroneously states that the 

 latter is the type of Cimolestes (Matthew 1916, p. 491), but, as will be shown below, 

 it does not belong in that genus. He distinguishes Eodelfhis as having a larger meta- 

 conid, longer and narrower heel with more distinct marginal cusps, and a higher 

 internal and lower external border. The metaconid is, however, little if any larger. 

 "C." curtus originally had separate talonid cusps, but they are corroded in the type. 

 The differences in proportions are slight and perhaps illusory, and the difference in 

 height of the borders may be due in part at least to corrosion and wear. Smith Wood- 

 ward states that the trigonid is less high in this species than in "C." curtus, but this, 

 also, is not clear. In fact it is impossible to establish any clear distinctions between 

 these two genera, Eodelfhis and Diafhorodon, but the latter is so little known and it is 

 so very unlikely that a mammalian genus is really common to the Belly River and the 

 Lance that they may properly be maintained as separate. 



Fig. 48. Eodelphis cuileri, lower jaw, external view, and crown view 

 of teeth, three halves natural size, No. 14169 a.m.f., anterior mental 

 foramen; p.m.f., posterior mental foramen. (After Matthew, 1916.) 



