Didelphodon (meaning "opossum tooth") is a genus of metatherian mammal that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now North America. It was a relative of modern marsupials like opossums and kangaroos. Didelphodon was found in many geological formations like the Hell Creek Formation, the Lance Formation or the Horseshoe Canyon Formation. This means that it coexisted with a huge variety of fauna, including dinosaurs and other mammals. It was once believed that Didelphodon resembled a badger or a possum. But now, new studies show that its appearance was similar to that of an otter and that it was an aquatic animal. This is an example that showcased the diversity of mammals during the age of the dinosaurs, in which some of them haven't the appearance of rodents.
Didelphodon is known to have appeared in the tv series Walking with Dinosaurs, where it is shown scavenging on corpses and raiding nests of dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex.
Books[]
Dinosaurs Alive![]
Didelphodon is seen in the book Dinosaurs Alive!, where it is shown being captured by an Ornithomimus. It was showcased living in the trees and having the appearance of a possum, most likely a reference to its name. However, we now know that Didelphodon didn't really looked like an opossum, but rather has a body otter-like and that it was an aquatic animal, being an example of the diversity of mammals during the Cretaceous. It is also unlikely that Ornithomimus would prey on Didelphodon too.
