Henkelotherium

Henkelotherium Temporal range: Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skeleton
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	† Dryolestida
Genus:	† Henkelotherium Krebs, 1991
Species:	†H. guimarotae
Binomial name
†Henkelotherium guimarotae Krebs, 1991

Henkelotherium is an extinct genus of dryolestidan mammal from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Camadas de Guimarota, in Portugal. ^[1] Unlike many other Jurassic mammals, it is known from a largely complete skeleton, and is thought to have had an arboreal lifestyle.

Description

The skull of Henkelotherium is 4 cm (1.6 in) long, and presacral body length is 11 cm (4.3 in). This suggest a weight of about 20 g (0.71 oz). ^[2]

Paleobiology

Primitive characters of Henkelotherium (e.g. asymmetric condyles of the femur) indicate that this species had a mode of locomotion similar to tree shrews and opossums. The small size of Henkelotherium and elongated tail made it suited to an arboreal lifestyle and capable of climbing trees, a notion supported by the paleoecological reconstruction of the Guimarota ecosystem indicating a densely vegetated environment. ^{[3] [4]} Based on its late growth of jaws and it possessing additional molars that erupted after antemolar replacement was completed, Henkelotherium is believed to have had a long lifespan, a slower life history, or a combination of the two. ^[5]

Taxonomy

In cladistic analyses, Henkelotherium has been considered closely related to Dryolestidae, either as a part of that group, or as closely related but placed outside that family as a non-dryolestid dryolestidan. ^[6]

Cladotheria	Meridiolestida Dryolestida Anthracolestes Tathiodon Euthlastus Paurodon Drescheratherium Henkelotherium Dryolestidae Amblotherium Dryolestes Laolestes Krebsotherium Thereuodon Guimarotodus Crusafontia Hercynodon Donodontidae Prototribosphenida Vincelestes Amphitherium Amphibetulimus Nanolestes Palaeoxonodon Zatheria Arguimus Peramus Tribosphenida

See also

• Paleontology portal
• Mammals portal

• Prehistoric mammal
  • List of prehistoric mammals

References

1. Krebs B., 1991. Das Skelett von Henkelotherium guimarotae gen. et sp. nov. (Eupantotheria, Mammalia) aus dem Oberen Jura von Portugal. Berl Geowiss Abh A.: 133:1–110.
2. T. S. Kemp (2005). The Origin and Evolution of Mammals. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 183. ISBN   9780198507611 . Retrieved 22 September 2022.
3. Vázquez-Molinero, R., Martin, T., Fischer, M. S. and Frey, R. (2001), Comparative anatomical investigations of the postcranial skeleton of Henkelotherium guimarotae Krebs, 1991 (Eupantotheria, Mammalia) and their implications for its locomotion. Zool. Reihe, 77: 207–216. doi: 10.1002/mmnz.20010770206
4. Jäger, K. R. K.; Luo, Z.-X.; Martin, T. (2020-09-01). "Postcranial Skeleton of Henkelotherium guimarotae (Cladotheria, Mammalia) and Locomotor Adaptation" . Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 27 (3): 349–372. doi:10.1007/s10914-018-09457-2. ISSN   1573-7055. S2CID   254689452.
5. Luo, Zhe-Xi; Martin, Thomas (6 April 2023). "Mandibular and dental characteristics of the Late Jurassic mammal Henkelotherium guimarotae (Paurodontidae, Dryolestida)" . PalZ. 97 (3): 569–619. doi:10.1007/s12542-023-00651-z. ISSN   0031-0220 . Retrieved 14 November 2024– via Springer Link.
6. Lasseron, Maxime; Martin, Thomas; Allain, Ronan; Haddoumi, Hamid; Jalil, Nour-Eddine; Zouhri, Samir; Gheerbrant, Emmanuel (2022-06-02). "An African Radiation of 'Dryolestoidea' (Donodontidae, Cladotheria) and its Significance for Mammalian Evolution". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 29 (4): 733–761. doi:10.1007/s10914-022-09613-9. ISSN   1064-7554. S2CID   249324444.

Further reading

• Ramón Vázquez Molinero: Comparative anatomy of Henkelotherium guimarotae (Holotheria), a late Jurassic small mammal, and its relevance for the evolution of the mode of locomotion of modern mammals. Dissertation. Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, 2003. Dissertation Online

http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/receive/FUDISS_thesis_000000001206