30 
DESCRIPTION 
Eodelphis cutleri (Smith Woodward), May 30, 1916 
Synonym: E. browni Matthew, July 24, 1916 
Plate VII 
New Specimen. Cat. No. 8356, Geological Survey, Canada. Part 
of right lower jaw with Mi_ 4 , alveoli of P 3 , and part of jaw posterior to 
teeth. 
Horizon and Locality. About 100 feet below top of Belly River 
formation (Pale Beds), about 2 miles southwest of Steveville, Alberta. 
Collected by C. M. Sternberg, July, 1928. 
Dentition. The molars increase much m*ore markedly in size from 
front to back than in any Tertiary or Recent didelphid. M 4 is over half 
again as large as Mi. M 4 is slightly larger than M 3 and its heel is somewhat 
wider and longer than that of any of the preceding teeth. Of all the 
molars the trigonid is very slightly wider basally than the talonid, of about 
equal length, and somewhat higher. On Mi the trigonid is longer than 
wide, on M2 length and width are about equal, and on M3-4 the trigonid 
is sharply compressed antero-posteriorly, ’width considerably greater than 
length. On Mi _2 the trigonids are evenly truncated by wear, but their 
bases indicate the protoconid and paraconid as subequal, the metaconid 
as smaller. On M3-4 the cusps are relatively well preserved and the 
trigonid consists essentially of the sharp, erect, subequal protoconid and 
paraconid, united by a shearing edge, while the metaconid is much reduced, 
almost vestigial. There is an anterior cingulum, very definite but not 
distinctly basined, rising toward the paraconid. The talonids are of the 
almost invariable didelphid type, basined, 'with three marginal cusps, 
the hypoconulid and entoconid closely approximated. In this case the 
latter are almost connate and on M3-4 are slightly higher than the hypoco- 
nid, although not so much so as indicated by Matthew, whose specimen 
has the hypoconids eroded. 
Mandible. The mandible agrees very closely with the E. cutleri type, 
the only definite distinction, and that slight, being that the lower border 
is apparently more swollen beneath and just behind M4. 
Dimensions 
Mm. 
Length Mu 17*0 
“ Ml 3-3 
“ Ms 4-1 
“ Mb 4-6 
“ Mi 5-1 
Maximum depth of ramus below alveolar border internally 
(beneath Mi) 12 -5 
