Tritylodontids ("three knob teeth", named after the shape of animal's
teeth) were small to medium-sized, highly specialized and extremely
mammal-like
cynodonts. They were the last known family of the non-mammalian synapsids. One of the last cynodont lines to appear, the Tritylodontidae descended from a
Cynognathus-like cynodont. The Tritylodontids were
herbivorous, chewing through
vegetation, such as
stems,
leaves, and
roots.