Epoicotheriinae

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Epoicotheriinae
Temporal range: 53.0–30.9  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
early Eocene - early Oligocene
Xenocranium NT.jpg
Artist reconstruction of
Xenocranium pileorivale
compared to the size of a human hand.
Pentapassalus pearcei.jpg
skull of Pentapassalus pearcei
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Palaeanodonta
Family: Epoicotheriidae
Subfamily: Epoicotheriinae
Simpson, 1927 [1]
Type genus
Epoicotherium
Simpson, 1927
Genera

Epoicotheriinae ("strange beasts") is an extinct paraphyletic subfamily of insectivorous placental mammals within extinct paraphyletic family Epoicotheriidae in extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America and Europe from the early Eocene to early Oligocene. [2] Epoicotheriins were fossorial mammals. Late Eocene/early Oligocene genera were highly specialized animals that were convergent with the talpids, golden moles and marsupial mole in the structure of their skulls and forelimbs, and would have had a similar lifestyle as subterranean burrowers. [3]

Contents

Classification and phylogeny

Classification

Phylogenetic tree

The phylogenetic relationships of subfamily Epoicotheriinae are shown in the following cladogram: [4] [5] [6]

  Ferae  

Pan-Carnivora Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XI).jpg

  Pholidotamorpha  

Pholidota(sensu stricto) Pangolin Hardwicke (white background).jpg

  Palaeanodonta  

Escavadodontidae

 ? 

Melaniella

Ernanodontidae

Metacheiromys Metacheiromys DB152-2.jpg

Metacheiromyinae  

Palaeanodon

Brachianodon

Mylanodon

Propalaeanodontinae

 ? 

Arcticanodon

  Pentapassalus  

Pentapassalus pearcei

Pentapassalus woodi

Alocodontulum

Auroratherium

Tubulodon

Dipassalus

Epoicotheriinae
  Tetrapassalus  

Tetrapassalus mckennai

Tetrapassalus proius

Tetrapassalus sp. A (AMNH 10215)

Tetrapassalus sp. B

  Xenocranium  

Xenocranium pileorivale

  Epoicotherium  

Epoicotherium unicum

  Molaetherium  

Molaetherium heissigi

Epoicotheriidae

Amelotabes

 (Pholidota [sensu lato]) 
Epoicotherium/Xenocranium clade

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Manis</i> Genus of mammals

Manis ("spirit") is a genus of South Asian and East Asian pangolins, the Asiatic pangolins, from subfamily Maninae, within family Manidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manidae</span> Family of pangolins

Manidae ("spirits") is the only extant family of pangolins from superfamily Manoidea. This family comprises three genera, as well as extinct Fayum pangolin.

<i>Eomanis</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Eomanis is the earliest known true pangolin from extinct family Eomanidae within suborder Eupholidota. It lived during the Eocene in Europe. Eomanis fossils found in the Messel Pit in Germany are very similar in size and anatomy to living pangolins of the genus Manis, indicating that pangolins have remained largely unchanged in morphology and behavior for 50 million years. However, unlike modern pangolins, its tail and legs did not bear scales. According to the stomach contents of the excellently preserved Messel specimens, Eomanis’ diet consisted of both insects and plants.

<i>Metacheiromys</i> Extinct genus of mammal

Metacheiromys is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct paraphyletic subfamily Metacheiromyinae within extinct paraphyletic family Metacheiromyidae in extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America from the early to middle Eocene.

<i>Eurotamandua</i> Extinct genus of pangolins

Eurotamandua is an extinct genus of mammal from extinct family Eurotamanduidae that lived during the middle Eocene.

<i>Necromanis</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Necromanis is an extinct genus of pangolin from superfamily Manoidea. It lived from the middle Oligocene to middle Miocene in Europe. It was originally placed within family Manidae, but was eventually removed from it as more fossil pholidotids from outside that family were found and studied more extensively. Currently, Necromanis is placed as incertae sedis within the pholidotid superfamily Manoidea, together with the families Manidae and Patriomanidae.

<i>Ernanodon</i> Extinct genus of mammal

Ernanodon is an extinct genus of placental mammal from extinct family Ernanodontidae within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived from the middle to late Paleocene in China and Mongolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesotheriidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Mesotheriidae is an extinct family of notoungulate mammals known from the Oligocene through the Pleistocene of South America. Mesotheriids were small to medium-sized herbivorous mammals adapted for digging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tillodontia</span> Extinct suborder of mammals

Tillodontia is an extinct suborder of eutherian mammals known from the Early Paleocene to Late Eocene of China, the Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene of North America where they display their maximum species diversity, the Middle Eocene of Pakistan, and the Early Eocene of Europe. Leaving no descendants, they are most closely related to the pantodonts, another extinct group. The tillodonts were medium- to large-sized animals that probably feed on roots and tubers in temperate to subtropical habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epoicotheriidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Epoicotheriidae is an extinct paraphyletic family of insectivorous placental mammals within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America, Asia and Europe from the late Paleocene to early Oligocene. Epoicotheriids were fossorial mammals. Late Eocene/early Oligocene genera were highly specialized animals that were convergent with the talpids, golden moles and marsupial mole in the structure of their skulls and forelimbs, and would have had a similar lifestyle as subterranean burrowers.

Escavadodon is an extinct genus of pangolin-like myrmecophagous placental mammals of extinct monotypic family Escavadodontidae within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America during the middle Paleocene. It contains a single species, Escavadodon zygus, recovered from the Nacimiento Formation of New Mexico.

<i>Prolimnocyon</i> Extinct family of mammals

Prolimnocyon is an extinct paraphyletic genus of limnocyonid hyaenodonts that lived in Asia and North America during the late Paleocene to middle Eocene. Prolimnocyon chowi is the earliest known member of the hyaenodontid family Limnocyonidae.

<i>Patriomanis</i> Genus of mammals

Patriomanis is an extinct genus of pangolin from extinct family Patriomanidae. It lived from the late Eocene to early Oligocene of North America and it currently represents the only pangolin known from the Western Hemisphere. The genus contains one species, P. americana, which is known from six specimens, mostly from the Chadronian White River Formation of Montana. It had long digits and a prehensile tail, suggesting that it was arboreal, and its jaw was capable of opening wider than modern pangolins. Its ears and the hair between its scales were also longer than modern pangolins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palaeanodonta</span> Extinct clade of mammals

Palaeanodonta is an extinct clade of stem-pangolins. They were insectivorous (myrmecophagous), possibly fossorial, and lived from the middle Paleocene to early Oligocene in North America, Europe and Asia. While the taxonomic grouping of Palaeanodonta has been debated, it is widely thought that they are a sister group to pangolins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernanodontidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Ernanodontidae is an extinct family of myrmecophagous placental mammals within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in Asia from the middle to late Paleocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pholidotamorpha</span> Clade of mammals

Pholidotamorpha is a clade of placental mammals from mirorder Ferae that includes the order Pholidota and extinct order Palaeanodonta.

<i>Euromanis</i> Genus of mammals

Euromanis is one of the earliest known pangolin genera. It lived during the middle Eocene in Europe. Euromanis fossils found in the Messel Pit in Germany. Unlike modern pangolins, it did not bear scales on its body.

<i>Xenocranium</i> Genus of prehistoric burrowing mammals

Xenocranium is an extinct monotypic genus of placental mammal from extinct paraphyletic subfamily Epoicotheriinae within extinct paraphyletic family Epoicotheriidae in extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America during the late Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metacheiromyidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Metacheiromyidae is an extinct paraphyletic family of myrmecophagous placental mammals within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America and Europe from the late Paleocene to middle Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metacheiromyinae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Metacheiromyinae is an extinct paraphyletic subfamily of myrmecophagous placental mammals within extinct paraphyletic family Metacheiromyidae in extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America and Europe from early to middle Eocene.

References

  1. G. G. Simpson (1927.) "In North American Oligocene edentate." Annals of Carnegie Museum 17 (2): 283-299
  2. R. M. Schoch (1984.) "Revision of Metacheiromys (Wortman, 1903) and a review of the Palaeanodonta." Postilla 192:1-28
  3. Kenneth D. Rose, Robert J. Emry (1983) "Extraordinary fossorial adaptations in the oligocene palaeanodonts Epoicotherium and Xenocranium (Mammalia)" Journal of Morphology 175(1):33 - 56
  4. Kenneth D. Rose (2008). "Palaeanodonta and Pholidota". In Janis, Christine M; Gunnell, Gregg F; Uhen, Mark D (eds.). 9 - Palaeanodonta and Pholidota. pp. 135–146. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511541438.010. ISBN   9780511541438.
  5. Gaudin, Timothy (2009). "The Phylogeny of Living and Extinct Pangolins (Mammalia, Pholidota) and Associated Taxa: A Morphology Based Analysis" (PDF). Journal of Mammalian Evolution. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer Science+Business Media. 16 (4): 235–305. doi:10.1007/s10914-009-9119-9. S2CID   1773698. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  6. Kondrashov, Peter; Agadjanian, Alexandre K. (2012). "A nearly complete skeleton of Ernanodon (Mammalia, Palaeanodonta) from Mongolia: morphofunctional analysis". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (5): 983–1001. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.694319. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   86059673.