Symmetrolestes, Tsubamoto & Rougier & Isaji & Manabe & Forasiepi, 2004

Tsubamoto, Takehisa, Rougier, Guillermo W., Isaji, Shinji, Manabe, Makoto & Forasiepi, Analía M., 2004, New Early Cretaceous spalacotheriid “ symmetrodont ” mammal from Japan, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 49 (3), pp. 329-346 : 332

Genus Symmetrolestes nov. Tsubamoto and Rougier

Type and only known species: Symmetrolestes parvus gen. et sp. nov. Tsubamoto and Rougier.

Etymology: From Greek symmetros, symmetric, in reference to the symmetric aspect of the molars of most members of the “ Symmetrodonta ”; from Greek lestes, hunter, a common ending of the names of Mesozoic mammals despite that the hunting habits of these miniscule critters are dubious.

Diagnosis.—Small and primitive spalacotheriid, with only four molariforms and at least four (probably five) premolariforms. Differs from other spalacotheriids in the small number of molariforms, the high number of premolariforms, and the more gradual transition between premolariforms and molariforms (the last premolariform has triangular outline in occlusal view).