What is "vintana"

Vintana sertichi is an early mammal dating from the Late Cretaceous, approximately 66 million years ago. Scientists found the lone fossil, a skull, on Madagascar's west coast in the Upper Cretaceous strata.

Vintana is extremely relevant to our understanding of gondwanatheres thanks to the fact that it is the first well preserved skull, as opposed to previous fragments and teeth. Establishing a connection with multituberculates and haramiyidans in the theriiforme clade Allotheria, it is a rather unusual animal, possessing massive lateral flanges in its skull whose exact purpose is poorly undertsood, as well as massive olphactory bulbs. A rather large animal at a weight of 20 pounds, Vintana also represents another example of a considerably large Mesozoic mammal, alongside forms like Repenomamus and Didelphodon.