Definition

A type of extinct meat-eating mammal that lived from the Paleocene to the Pliocene periods.

Example

The fossils of creodonts provide important insights into the evolution of carnivorous mammals.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of a creodont?

No, what’s that?

They were these fascinating carnivorous mammals from a long time ago.

That sounds interesting! I love learning about extinct animals.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Creodont is formed from "creo-" (from Latin "creare", meaning to create or produce) and "-dont" (from Greek "odous", meaning tooth). The term refers to a group of extinct carnivorous mammals characterized by their unique dental structure, thus relating to the idea of 'creating' or 'producing' specific types of teeth.

Memory Tip

Think of 'creating' ('creo-') specific 'teeth' ('-dont') that define a unique group of carnivorous mammals.

Visually Confused Words