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Kollikodon is an extinct species of Monotreme. It is known only from an opalised fragment of dentary, with one premolar and two molars in situ. The fossil was found at Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia.

Kollikodon lived in the lower Cretaceous period, during the middle Albian age (100-104 million years ago).

Like Steropodon, Kollikodon was a relatively large mammal for the Mesozoic. The molars have a length of around 5.5 mm and a width of between about 4 to 6 mm, (Clemens et al, 2003). Based upon these data, the potential body length could be up to a metre. Assuming the accuracy of such a guess, Kollikodon would easily be the largest Mesozoic mammal known.

Aside from its size, it is difficult to say what Kollikodon looked like. However, it may have been at least partly aquatic, as its strange teeth would work well for crushing shellfish.

Both Kollikodon and Steropodon can be found at the Australian Museum in SydneyThis is about the city of Sydney in Australia. For other meanings, see Sydney (disambiguation), or Sidney. Sydney Opera House Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales and Australia's largest and oldest city, founded in 1788., along with Eric, the opalised pliosaur .

1 Origin of Kollikodons name

Kollix is an ancient Greek word for a bread roll. The strange teeth of Kollikodon, when seen from above, resemble hot cross bunA hot cross bun is a type of sweet spiced bun made with currants and leavened with yeast. It has a cross on the top which might be made in a variety of ways: it could be pastry, made from a simple flour and water mixture, cut from rice paper and glazed ons, traditionally toasted and eaten on Good FridayGood Friday is a special day celebrated by Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Special prayer services are often held on this day with readings from the Gospel accounts of the events leading u. The original suggestion for the animal's name was Hotcrossbunidon, but this was felt to be invalid in terms of the rules of zoological nomenclature, and so Kollikodon was officially proposed.

2 Links and references

Flannery, et al. A new family of monotremes from the Cretaceous of Australia. Nature 377, 418-420. 1995.

Australian Museum online: Lightning Ridge Opal fossils from Oz.

Australian Museum online Some observations on Hotcrossbunidon.

Australian Museum online, Collection Highlights