Amphicyonidae

Mounted skeleton of Amphicyon longiramus, from here.

Belongs within: Carnivora.

The Amphicyonidae, commonly called bear-dogs, are a group of relatively large carnivorans of somewhat uncertain affinities known from the late Oligocene to late Miocene of Eurasia, Africa and North America (Savage 1978). They are generally agreed to have had caniform affinities, but different authors have placed them closer to dogs, bears or to the Arctoidea clade as a whole (Flynn et al. 1988). The largest amphicyonids are estimated to have reached about 600 kg in weight.

Characters (from Flynn et al. 1988): Skeleton massive; tail long; feet plantigrade, pentadactyl. Skull elongate; premolars simple, low-crowned, elongated, often separated by diastemata; M³ originally present; upper molars with strong lingual cingulum nearly symmetrically disposed around protocone; upper carnassial with anteriorly placed protocone; M₂ with paraconid; lower molar talonids with low entoconid, hypoconid a longitudinal crest more centrally located on talonid. Auditory bulla with small entotympanic, either unossified or consisting mostly of carotid canal; ectotympanic just covering promontorium, not extending posterior to mastoid process. External auditory meatus inflated by extension of hypotympanic sinus.

<==Amphicyonidae [Amphicyoninae]
    |--Afrocyon burolleti S78
    |--Temnocyon obtusidens V91
    |--Cynelos caroniavorus FNT88, V91
    |--Ischyrocyon gidleyi V91
    |--Hecubides S78
    |    |--H. euryodon S78
    |    `--H. macrodon S78
    |--Daphoenus Lartet 1836 [Daphoenidae, Daphoeninae] D07
    |    |--D. hartshornianus V91
    |    |--D. lambei D07
    |    |--D. nebrascensis D07
    |    `--D. vetus D07
    `--Amphicyon Lartet 1836 D07
         |--A. giganteus D07
         |--‘Mustela’ incerta K54
         |--A. longiramus D07
         |--A. major D07
         `--A. tairumensis DW04

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[DW04] Deng T., Wang X., Ni X. & Liu L. 2004. Sequence of the Cenozoic mammalian faunas of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 78 (1): 8–14.

[D07] Dixon, D. 2007. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. Hermes House: London.

[FNT88] Flynn, J. J., N. A. Neff & R. H. Tedford. 1988. Phylogeny of the Carnivora. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 2. Mammals pp. 73–116. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[K54] Kurtén, B. 1954. The type collection of Ictitherium robustum (Gervais, ex Nordmann) and the radiation of the ictitheres. Acta Zoologica Fennica 86: 1–26.

[S78] Savage, R. J. G. 1978. Carnivora. In: Maglio, V. J., & H. B. S. Cooke (eds) Evolution of African Mammals pp. 249–267. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[V91] Valkenburgh, B. van. 1991. Iterative evolution of hypercarnivory in canids (Mammalia: Carnivora): evolutionary interactions among sympatric predators. Paleobiology 17 (4): 340–362.

Last updated: 9 August 2018.

Aeluroidea

Sulawesi palm civet Macrogalidia musschenbroekii, photographed by Alain Compost.

Belongs within: Carnivora.
Contains: Felidae, Hyaenidae, Herpestidae, Viverrinae.

The Aeluroidea are the crown group of the feliform ('cat-line') carnivorans. As well as the cats themselves, they also include such animals as hyaenas, mongooses and civets. Recent studies agree that the 'Viverridae' as recognised in the past are poly- or paraphyletic, with the African palm civet Nandinia binotata the sister taxon to other living aeluroids. The Asiatic linsangs of the genus Prionodon, small, long-bodied carnivorans patterned with large spots often coalescing into bands, are now placed as the sister group to cats in the Felidae.

Characters (from Flynn et al. 1988): Auditory bulla double-chambered, divided by bilaminar septum; paroccipital process short, broadened, cupping caudal ectotympanic; posterior opening of carotid canal farther anterior to posterior lacerate foramen; postglenoid foramen absent; alisphenoid canal absent; baculum small or absent; P⁴ with large parastyle and deep, narrow carnassial notch; third upper and lower molars lost; M² reduced, simple; M₂ with talonid extremely elongate, hypoconulid larger than or equal to hypoconid.

<==Aeluroidea [Feloidea] FNT88
    |--Nandinia [Nandiniidae, Nandiniinae] FS15
    |    `--N. binotata FS15
    `--+--+--+--Felidae FS15
       |  |  `--Stenogale Schlosser 1887 MJ11, SM93
       |  |       `--S. julieni MJ11
       |  `--+--Palaeoprionodon Filhol 1880 MJ11, SM93
       |     `--Prionodon Horsfield 1822 C84 [Prionodontidae FS15]
       |          |--P. linsang FS15
       |          `--P. pardicolor FS15
       `--+--Herpestoidea MJ11
          |    |--Hyaenidae FS15
          |    `--+--Herpestidae FS15
          |       `--Eupleridae FS15
          |            |--+--Fossa [Fossinae] FS15
          |            |  |    `--F. fossana FS15
          |            |  `--Eupleres [Euplerinae] FS15
          |            |       `--E. goudotii FS15
          |            |            |--E. g. goudotii BP87
          |            |            `--E. g. major BP87
          |            `--+--Cryptoprocta [Cryptoproctidae, Cryptoproctinae] FS15
          |               |    |--C. ferox FS15
          |               |    `--C. spelea Lamberton 1939 S78
          |               `--Galidiinae RW84
          |                    |--Galidia elegans FS15
          |                    `--+--+--Salanoia concolor FS15
          |                       |  `--Mungotictis decemlineata FS15
          |                       `--Galidictis FS15
          |                            |--G. fasciata FS15
          |                            |--G. grandidieri FS15
          |                            `--G. striata S66
          `--Viverridae FS15
               |  i. s.: Hemigalea Blainville 1837 C84
               |         Stenoplesictis Filhol 1880 SM93
               |           `--S. cayluxi Fischer 1983 F91
               |--Viverrinae FS15
               `--+--Paradoxurinae WW84
                  |    |--Arctogalidia trivirgata FS15
                  |    `--+--Arctictis binturong FS15
                  |       `--+--Paguma larvata Hamilton-Smith 1827 FS15, M76
                  |          `--+--Macrogalidia musschenbroekii FS15
                  |             `--Paradoxurus FS15
                  |                  |--P. hermaphroditus (Pallas 1777) FS15, K92
                  |                  `--+--P. jerdoni FS15
                  |                     `--P. zeylonensis FS15
                  `--Hemigalinae WW84
                       |--Cynogale FS15
                       |    |--C. bennettii FS15
                       |    `--C. lowei WW84
                       `--+--Chrotogale owstonii FS15
                          `--+--Diplogale hosei FS15
                             `--Hemigalus Jourdan 1837 FS15, C84
                                  |--H. derbyanus FS15
                                  |--H. hardwickei B46
                                  `--H. hosei WW84

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BP87] Burton, J. A., & B. Pearson. 1987. Collins Guide to the Rare Mammals of the World. Collins: London.

[B46] Butler, P. M. 1946. The evolution of carnassial dentitions in the Mammalia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 116: 198–220.

[C84] Compagno, L. J. V. 1984. FAO Species Catalogue vol. 4. Sharks of the World: An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2—Carcharhiniformes. United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome.

[FS15] Faurby, S., & J.-C. Svenning. 2015. A species-level phylogeny of all extant and late Quaternary extinct mammals using a novel heuristic-hierarchical Bayesian approach. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84: 14–26.

[FNT88] Flynn, J. J., N. A. Neff & R. H. Tedford. 1988. Phylogeny of the Carnivora. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 2. Mammals pp. 73–116. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[F91] Freess, W. B. 1991. Beiträge zur Kenntnis von Fauna und Flora des marinen Mitteloligozäns bei Leipzig. Altenburger Naturwissenschaftliche Forschungen 6: 3–74.

[K92] Klompen, J. S. H. 1992. Phylogenetic relationships in the mite family Sarcoptidae (Acari: Astigmata). Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 180: i–vi, 1–154.

[M76] Masui, M. 1976. Nihon no Doobutsu. Kogakukan: Tokyo.

[MJ11] Meredith, R. W., J. E. Janečka, J. Gatesy, O. A. Ryder, C. A. Fisher, E. C. Teeling, A. Goodbla, E. Eizirik, T. L. L. Simão, T. Stadler, D. L. Rabosky, R. L. Honeycutt, J. J. Flynn, C. M. Ingram, C. Steiner, T. L. Williams, T. J. Robinson, A. Burk-Herrick, M. Westerman, N. A. Ayoub, M. S. Springer & W. J. Murphy. 2011. Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution and KPg extinction on mammal diversification. Science 334: 521–524.

[RW84] Rood, J., & W. C. Wozencraft. 1984. Mongooses. In: Macdonald, D. (ed.) All the World’s Animals: Carnivores pp. 138–145. Torstar Books Inc.: New York.

[S78] Savage, R. J. G. 1978. Carnivora. In: Maglio, V. J., & H. B. S. Cooke (eds) Evolution of African Mammals pp. 249–267. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[S66] Schlegel, H. 1866. Communication from, on mammals and birds collected in Madagascar. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 419–426.

[SM93] Stucky, R. K., & M. C. McKenna. 1993. Mammalia. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 739–771. Chapman & Hall: London.

[WW84] Wemmer, C., & W. C. Wozencraft. 1984. Civets and genets. In: Macdonald, D. (ed.) All the World’s Animals: Carnivores pp. 128–137. Torstar Books Inc.: New York.

Last updated: 19 March 2022.

Dormaaliinae

Partial cranium and jaws of Macrocranion nitens, from Novacek et al. (1985).

Belongs within: Lipotyphla.

The Dormaaliinae are an Eocene group of small mammals of uncertain relationships. Novacek (1985) regarded them as belonging to the Erinaceomorpha, among the relatives of the hedgehogs. Butler (1988) pointed out that the dormaaliine Macrocranion lacked the synapomorphies of Lipotyphla and excluded it from that group, but did not propose a specific alternative position. One subgroup, the amphilemurines, had bunodont molars superficially similar to those of Primates.

Characters (from Novacek 1985): P_1-2 reduced, single-rooted; P₃ very small, single-rooted; P₄ premolariform with large protoconid, small metaconid and paraconid, short weakly basined or unbasined talonid with one or two minute cuspules; M_1-3 with paraconids transverse, sharp, crestiform, closely approximated to metaconids; trigonids on M_1-3 distinctly canted anteriorly, anteroposteriorly compressed in occlusal view; P⁴ with sweeping metastylar crest, vestigial or absent metacone, weak posterolingual extension of cingulum; M^1-2 with well-developed hypocone.

<==Dormaaliinae
    |--Dormaalius N85
    |--Macrocranion nitens B88
    `--Amphilemurini N85
         |--Pholidocercus N85
         |--Amphilemur Heller 1935 N85, S62
         |    `--A. eocaenicus Heller 1935 S62
         |--Alsaticopithecus Hürzeler 1947 N85, S62
         |    `--*A. leemanni Hürzeler 1947 S62
         `--Gesneropithex Hürzeler 1946 N85, S62
              `--G. peyeri Hürzeler 1946 S62

*Type species of generic name indicated

==References==

[B88] Butler, P. M. 1988. Phylogeny of the insectivores. In The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods, vol. 2. Mammals (M. J. Benton, ed.) pp. 117-141. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[N85] Novacek, M. J. 1985. The Sespedectinae, a new subfamily of hedgehog-like insectivores. American Museum Novitates 2822: 1-24.

Novacek, M. J., T. M. Bown & D. Schankler. 1985. On the classification of the early Tertiary Erinaceomorpha (Insectivora, Mammalia). American Museum Novitates 2813: 1-22.

[S62] Simons, E. L. 1962. A new Eocene primate genus, Cantius, and a revision of some allied European lemuroids. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Geology 7 (1): 1-36.

Erinaceidae

West European hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus, photographed by Hrald.

Belongs within: Erinaceomorpha.

The Erinaceidae include the hedgehogs and their spine-less cousins, the gymnures. Erinaceids are first recorded from the Middle Eocene, with Entomolestes from North America belonging to the Tupaiodontinae. The Oligocene saw the appearance of the other subfamilies, with Proterix in North America and the remainder (including the tupaiodontine genera Tupaiodon and Ictopidium) in Eurasia. Representatives of the living subfamilies Erinaceinae and Galericinae, as well as the Brachyericinae, reached Africa and North America during the Miocene (Butler 1988).

Characters (from Butler 1988): P⁴/M₁ shear; P⁴ with high paracone and long metacrista; M₁ enlarged with extended trigonid, paraconid forwardly placed as high paracristid. Posterior molars reduced; paraconid on M_2-3 reduced to transverse crest at level of talonid of preceding tooth; M₂ metacrista very short. Zygomatic process of maxilla shifted forward.

<==Erinaceidae
    |--Tupaiodontinae B88
    |    |--Tupaiodon Matthew & Granger 1924 B88, N85
    |    |    |--T. minutus B88
    |    |    `--T. morrisi B88
    |    |--Ictopidium B88
    |    |    |--I. lechei Zdansky 1930 GH99
    |    |    `--I. tatalgolensis B88
    |    |--Entomolestes B88
    |    |    |--E. grangeri B88
    |    |    |--E. nitens M68
    |    |    `--E. siegfriedti M68
    |    `--Zaraalestes GH99
    `--+--Proterix Matthew 1903 B88, G68
       |    |--*P. loomisi Matthew 1903 G68
       |    `--P. bicuspis (Macdonald 1951) [=Apternodus bicuspis] G68
       `--+--Neurogymnurus G68 [Neurogymnurinae B88]
          |--Galericinae B88
          |    |--Tetracus B88
          |    |--Lanthanotherium N85
          |    `--Galerix [incl. Pseudogalerix] N85
          |         |--G. africanus Butler 1956 Bu78
          |         |--G. exilis G68
          |         `--G. socialis N85
          `--+--Brachyericinae [Brachyericini] B88
             |    |--Brachyerix G68
             |    |--Metechinus G68
             |    |--Dimylechinus G68
             |    `--Exallerix B88
             `--Erinaceinae B88
                  |--Protechinus salis Lavocat 1961 Bu78
                  |--Mioechinus oeningensis Bu78
                  |--Postpalerinaceus vireti Crusafont & Villalta 1948 Bu78
                  |--Paraechinus micropus Bu78, V02
                  |--Palaeoscaptor N85
                  |--Amphechinus G68 [incl. Palaeoerinaceus Bu78]
                  |    |--A. edwardsi M60
                  |    |--A. kansuensis M60
                  |    |--A. minimus M60
                  |    `--A. rusingensis Butler 1956 Bu78
                  |--Gymnurechinus Bu78
                  |    |--G. camptolophus Butler 1956 Bu78
                  |    |--G. leakeyi Butler 1956 Bu78
                  |    `--G. songhorensis Butler 1956 Bu78
                  |--Hemiechinus Bu78
                  |    |--H. aethiopicus IT07
                  |    |--H. auritus V02
                  |    |--H. collaris IT07
                  |    |--H. hypomelas IT07
                  |    |--H. megalotis GM71
                  |    |--H. micropus IT07
                  |    `--H. nudiventris IT07
                  `--Erinaceus Linnaeus 1758 P04
                       |  i. s.: E. amurensis IT07
                       |         E. concolor IT07
                       |         E. europaeus Linnaeus 1758 K92
                       |         E. frontalis Bi78 [=Atelerix frontalis IT07]
                       |         E. sansaniensis Bu78
                       `--E. (Atelerix) Bu78
                            |--E. (A.) albiventris Wagner 1841 Bu78, K92
                            |--E. (A.) algirus Bu78
                            |--E. (A.) broomi (Broom 1937) [incl. Atelerix major Broom 1937] Bu78
                            `--E. (A.) sclateri Bu78

Erinaceidae incertae sedis:
  Echinosorex AM02 [Echinosoricinae Bu78]
    `--E. gymnurus AM02
  Hylomys M58
    |--H. hainanensis IT07
    |--H. sinensis IT07
    `--H. suillus M94
  Podogymnura IT07
    |--P. aureospinula IT07
    `--P. truei IT07
  Mesechinus IT07
    |--M. dauuricus IT07
    `--M. hughi IT07
  Neotetracus M58
  Meterix latidens M60

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[AM02] Asher, R. J., M. C. McKenna, R. J. Emry, A. R. Tabrum & D. G. Kron. 2002. Morphology and relationships of Apternodus and other extinct, zalambdodont, placental mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 273: 1-117.

[Bi78] Bigalke, R. C. 1978. Present-day mammals of Africa. In Evolution of African Mammals (V. J. Maglio & H. B. S. Cooke, eds) pp. 1-16. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[Bu78] Butler, P. M. 1978. Insectivora and Chiroptera. In Evolution of African Mammals (V. J. Maglio & H. B. S. Cooke, eds) pp. 56-68. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[B88] Butler, P. M. 1988. Phylogeny of the insectivores. In The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods, vol. 2. Mammals (M. J. Benton, ed.) pp. 117-141. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[G68] Gawne, C. E. 1968. The genus Proterix (Insectivora, Erinaceidae) of the Upper Oligocene of North America. American Museum Novitates 2315: 1-26.

[GH99] Gheerbrant, E. & J.-L. Hartenberger. 1999. Nouveau mammifère insectivore (?Lipotyphla, ?Erinaceomorpha) de l’Eocène inférieur de Chambi (Tunisie). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 73 (1-2): 143-156.

[GM71] Goodman, M., & G. W. Moore. 1971. Immunodiffusion systematics of the primates I. The Catarrhini. Systematic Zoology 20 (1): 19-62.

[IT07] Isaac, N. J. B., S. T. Turvey, B. Collen, C. Waterman & J. E. M. Baillie. 2007. Mammals on the EDGE: conservation priorities based on threat and phylogeny. PLoS One 2 (3): e296.

[K92] Klompen, J. S. H. 1992. Phylogenetic relationships in the mite family Sarcoptidae (Acari: Astigmata). Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 180: i-vi, 1-154.

[M94] MacPhee, R. D. E. 1994. Morphology, adaptations, and relationships of Plesiorycteropus, and a diagnosis of a new order of eutherian mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 220: 1-214.

[M58] McDowell, S. B., Jr. 1958. The Greater Antillean insectivores. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 115 (3): 113-214.

[M60] McKenna, M. C. 1960. The Geolabidinae: a new subfamily of early Cenozoic erinaceoid insectivores. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 37 (2): 131-164.

[M68] McKenna, M. C. 1968. Leptacodon, an American Paleocene nyctithere (Mammalia, Insectivora). American Museum Novitates 2317: 1-12.

[N85] Novacek, M. J. 1985. The Sespedectinae, a new subfamily of hedgehog-like insectivores. American Museum Novitates 2822: 1-24.

[P04] Popov, V. V. 2004. Pliocene small mammals (Mammalia, Lipotyphla, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Rodentia) from Muselievo (north Bulgaria). Geodiversitas 26 (3): 403-491.

[V02] Vyas, R. 2002. Pale hedgehog Paraechinus micropus in southeastern Rajasthan. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99 (3): 501.

Erinaceomorpha

Lower jaw of Sespedectes stocki, from Novacek (1985).

Belongs within: Lipotyphla.
Contains: Erinaceidae.

The Erinaceomorpha includes the modern hedgehogs (Erinaceidae) and their fossil relatives. Most fossil species are only known from their dentition, which is relatively unspecialised, and the inclusion or otherwise of taxa in this group has often been debated. According to Butler (1988), the earliest erinaceomorphs include Adunator from the Palaeocene of Europe and North America, with Adapisorex and Leipsanolestes also Palaeocene. Most other non-erinaceid erinaceomorphs are Eocene in age, though Ankylodon is Oligocene.

Characters (from Rose 2006): Dental formula 3.1.4.3/3.1.4.3; molars low-crowned, bunodont; M^1-2 with moderately to well-developed hypocones; fourth premolars premolariform to submolariform.

<==Erinaceomorpha [Erinaceoidea]
    |  i. s.: Neohylomys hainanensis BP87
    |         Talpavoides N85
    |         Opisthopsalis V66
    |         Hyracolestes V66
    |         Praolestes V66
    |         Chambilestes Gheerbrant & Hartenberger 1999 [Chambilestidae] GH99
    |           `--*C. foussanensis Gheerbrant & Hartenberger 1999 GH99
    |--+--Neomatronella N85
    |  `--Adapisorex [Adapisoricidae] B88
    |       `--A. abundans B88
    |--+--Diacodon Cope 1875 B88, C76
    |  |    |--D. alticuspis Cope 1875 C76
    |  |    |--D. celatus Cope 1875 C76
    |  |    `--D. minutus S35
    |  `--Adunator [incl. Diacocherus, Mckennatherium] B88
    |       |--A. ladae B88
    |       |--A. lehmani B88
    |       `--A. minutus B88
    `--+--Leipsanolestes siegfriedti Simpson 1928 B88, S35 [=Leptacodon (Leipsanolestes) siegfriedti S35]
       |--Erinaceidae B88
       `--+--Dartonius B88
          `--+--Talpavus B88
             `--Scenopagidae B88
                  |--Scenopaginae B88
                  |    |--Scenopagus McKenna & Simpson 1959 M60
                  |    |    |--S. curtidens GH99
                  |    |    |--S. edenensis B88
                  |    |    `--S. mcgrewi M60
                  |    |--Ankylodon B88
                  |    |    |--A. annectens Patterson & McGrew 1937 M60
                  |    |    `--A. progressus Galbreath 1953 M60
                  |    `--Embassis Cope 1873 M60
                  |         `--*E. alternans Cope 1873 M60
                  `--Sespedectinae B88
                       |--Crypholestes Novacek 1976 N85
                       |    `--*C. vaughni Novacek 1976 N85
                       `--+--Proterixoides Stock 1935 N85
                          |    `--*P. davisi Stock 1935 N85
                          `--Sespedectes Stock 1935 N85
                               |--*S. singularis Stock 1935 N85
                               `--S. stocki Novacek 1985 N85

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BP87] Burton, J. A., & B. Pearson. 1987. Collins Guide to the Rare Mammals of the World. Collins: London.

[B88] Butler, P. M. 1988. Phylogeny of the insectivores. In The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods, vol. 2. Mammals (M. J. Benton, ed.) pp. 117-141. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[C76] Cope, E. D. 1876. Report upon the extinct Vertebrata obtained in New Mexico by parties of the expedition of 1874. Geographical Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian 4 (2): i-iv, 1-370.

[GH99] Gheerbrant, E. & J.-L. Hartenberger. 1999. Nouveau mammifère insectivore (?Lipotyphla, ?Erinaceomorpha) de l’Eocène inférieur de Chambi (Tunisie). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 73 (1-2): 143-156.

[M60] McKenna, M. C. 1960. The Geolabidinae: a new subfamily of early Cenozoic erinaceoid insectivores. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 37 (2): 131-164.

[N85] Novacek, M. J. 1985. The Sespedectinae, a new subfamily of hedgehog-like insectivores. American Museum Novitates 2822: 1-24.

Rose, K. D. 2006. The Beginning of the Age of Mammals. JHU Press.

[S35] Simpson, G. G. 1935. The Tiffany fauna, Upper Paleocene. I.–Multituberculata, Marsupialia, Insectivora, and ?Chiroptera. American Museum Novitates 795: 1-19.

[V66] Van Valen, L. 1966. Deltatheridia, a new order of mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 132 (1): 1-126.

Proboscidea

Reconstruction of Mammut americanum, copyright James St. John.

Belongs within: Pan-Paenungulata.
Contains: Deinotheriidae, Elephantida.

The Proboscidea include the elephants and their fossil relatives. The earliest proboscideans are known from the early Eocene, and were superficially tapir-like animals. Members of the basal Barytherioidea (including Moeritherium) had bilophodont molars; the molars became trilophodont in the Deinotheriidae and Elephantiformes (Sanders et al. 2004). Modification of the upper second incisors into large tusks is characteristic of the Elephantiformes; basal forms have similarly tusk-like lower first incisors (Tassy & Shoshani 1988).

Characters (from Tassy & Shoshani 1988): Orbitotemporal fossa without processus ascendens of palatine; jugal reduced anteriorly, orbit opening in maxilla; jugal lengthened posteriorly to rear border of glenoid fossa of squamosal; condyloid foramen absent; optic foramen and fissura sphenorbitale on same line under crista orbitotemporalis of orbitotemporal fossa. Metacone on P⁴; upper molars with paracone and metacone transversely thickened and subdivided, paraconule touching precingulum, protocone with postprotocone crest; M^1-2 with distocrista; lower molars with metaconid and entoconid transversely thickened, hypolophid as high as protolophid, hypoconulid developed labially, postentoconulid outlined. Astragalus with enlarged lateral calcaneal facet and protruding tuberculum mediale.

<==Proboscidea
    |  i. s.: Arcanotherium savagei JB10
    |--Barytherioidea [Barypoda] SKR04
    |    |  i. s.: Daouitherium SKR04
    |    |         Barytherium Andrews 1901 [Barytheriidae] H78
    |    |           `--*B. grave Andrews 1901 H78 [=Bradytherium grave DRM86]
    |    |--Phosphatherium Gheerbrant, Sudre & Tassy 1996 RH14, D07
    |    |    `--P. escuilliei D07
    |    `--+--Numidotherium [Numidotheriidae] RH14
    |       |    `--N. koholense TS88
    |       `--Moeritherium Andrews 1901 RH14, CB78 [Moeritheriidae, Moeritherioidea]
    |            |--M. chehbeurameuri JB10
    |            |--M. lyonsi Andrews 1901 [incl. M. ancestrale Petronievics 1923, M. gracile Andrews 1902] CB78
    |            `--M. trigodon Andrews 1904 [incl. M. andrewsi Schlosser 1911] CB78
    `--+--Deinotheriidae TS88
       `--Elephantiformes [Palaeomastodontidae] SW06
            |--Palaeomastodon Andrews 1901 SW06, CM78
            |    `--*P. beadnelli Andrews 1901 (see below for synonymy) CM78
            `--+--Phiomia Andrews & Beadnell 1902 SW06, SKR04 [Phiomiidae]
               |    |--P. major Sanders, Kappelman & Rasmussen 2004 SKR04
               |    |--P. minor (Andrews 1904) S68
               |    |--P. serridens Andrews & Beadnell 1902 (see below for synonymy) CM78
               |    `--P. wintoni (Andrews 1905) S68
               `--Elephantimorpha SW06
                    |  i. s.: Notelephas Owen 1882 LA02
                    |           `--*N. australis Owen 1882 LA02
                    |--Hemimastodon crepusculi TS88
                    |--Eritreum Shoshani, Walter et al. 2006 SW06
                    |    `--*E. melakeghebrekristosi Shoshani, Walter et al. 2006 SW06
                    `--+--Elephantida SW06
                       `--Mammutidae [Mammutida, Mammutoidea] SW06
                            |--Eozygodon morotoensis SW06
                            |--Miomastodon TS88
                            |--Pliomastodon TS88
                            |--Zygolophodon Vacek 1877 SW06, CM78
                            |    |  i. s.: Z. aegyptensis SW06
                            |    |         Z. gobiensis SW06
                            |    |         Z. metachinjiensis SW06
                            |    |         Z. turicensis SW06
                            |    `--Z. (Zygolophodon) CM78
                            |         |--*Z. (Z.) tapiroides CM78
                            |         `--Z. (Z.) borsoni (Hays 1834) [=Mastodon borsoni] CM78
                            `--Mammut Blumenbach 1799 TS88, H07 [incl. Mastodon Cuvier 1806 CM78]
                                 |--M. americanum D07
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ andium C77
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ australis Owen 1844 LA02
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ chapmanii C77
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ humboldtii C77
                                 |--M. obscurus D07 [=Mastodon obscurus C77]
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ ohioticus C77
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ proavus C77
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ productus Cope 1874 C77
                                 |--‘Mastodon’ shepardii C77
                                 `--‘Mastodon’ tapiroides C77

*Palaeomastodon beadnelli Andrews 1901 [incl. P. barroisi Pontier 1907, P. intermedius Matsumoto 1922, P. minor Andrews 1904, P. minus Andrews 1905, P. parvus Andrews 1905, P. wintoni Andrews 1905] CM78

Phiomia serridens Andrews & Beadnell 1902 [=Palaeomastodon (Phiomia) serridens; incl. Ph. osborni Matsumoto 1924] CM78

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[C77] Cope, E. D. 1877. Report upon the extinct Vertebrata obtained in New Mexico by parties of the expedition of 1874. Geographical Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian 4 (2): i–iv, 1–370.

[CB78] Coppens, Y., & M. Beden 1978. Moeritherioidea. In: Maglio, V. J., & H. B. S. Cooke (eds) Evolution of African Mammals pp. 333–335. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[CM78] Coppens, Y., V. J. Maglio, C. T. Madden & M. Beden. 1978. Proboscidea. In: Maglio, V. J., & H. B. S. Cooke (eds) Evolution of African Mammals pp. 336–367. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[D07] Dixon, D. 2007. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. Hermes House: London.

[DRM86] Domning, D. P., C. E. Ray & M. C. McKenna. 1986. Two new Oligocene desmostylians and a discussion of tethytherian systematics. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 59: 1–56.

[H78] Harris, J. M. 1978. Deinotherioidea and Barytherioidea. In: Maglio, V. J., & H. B. S. Cooke (eds) Evolution of African Mammals pp. 315–332. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).

[H07] Hooker, J. J. 2007. Bipedal browsing adaptations of the unusual Late Eocene-earliest Oligocene tylopod Anoplotherium (Artiodactyla, Mammalia). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151 (3): 609–659.

[JB10] Jaeger, J.-J., K. C. Beard, Y. Chaimanee, M. Salem, M. Benammi, O. Hlal, P. Coster, A. A. Bilal, P. Duringer, M. Schuster, X. Valentin, B. Marandat, L. Marivaux, E. Métais, O. Hammuda & M. Brunet. 2010. Late middle Eocene epoch of Libya yields earliest known radiation of African anthropoids. Nature 467: 1095–1098.

[LA02] Long, J., M. Archer, T. Flannery & S. Hand. 2002. Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution. University of New South Wales Press: Sydney.

[RH14] Rose, K. D., L. T. Holbrook, R. S. Rana, K. Kumar, K. E. Jones, H. E. Ahrens, P. Missiaen, A. Sahni & T. Smith. 2014. Early Eocene fossils suggest that the mammalian order Perissodactyla originated in India. Nature Communications 5: 5570.

[SKR04] Sanders, W. J., J. Kappelman & D. T. Rasmussen. 2004. New large-bodied mammals from the late Oligocene site of Chilga, Ethiopia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 49 (3): 365–392.

[SW06] Shoshani, J., R. C. Walter, M. Abraha, S. Berhe, P. Tassy, W. J. Sanders, G. H. Marchant, Y. Libsekal, T. Ghirmai & D. Zinner. 2006. A proboscidean from the late Oligocene of Eritrea, a “missing link” between early Elephantiformes and Elephantimorpha, and biogeographical implications. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 103 (46): 17296–17301.

[S68] Simons, E. L. 1968. African Oligocene mammals: introduction, history of study, and faunal succession. Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, Bulletin 28: 1–21.

[TS88] Tassy, P., & J. Shoshani. 1988. The Tethytheria: elephants and their relatives. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 2. Mammals pp. 283–315. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

Last updated: 9 February 2022.

Talpidae

Shrew mole Uropsilus sp., from here.

Belongs within: Eulipotyphla.
Contains: Talpini.

The Talpidae, moles, are burrowing lipotyphlans found in Eurasia and North America. Moles have a unique digging mode, where the humerus rotates around its long axis. This means that the hands move laterally alongside the body, rather than underneath it as in other animals. As well as the familiar subterranean species, the family also includes the aquatic desmans (Desmaninae) and the shrew-like Uropsilus. Species of Uropsilus, found in eastern Asia, are not strongly specialised for burrowing and have been suggested to occupy a basal position in mole phylogeny. Another contender for this position is the American shrew mole Neurotrichus gibbsii, found in the Pacific northwest of North America, which is also the smallest living member of the family. Talpids are first known in the fossil record by the Late Eocene Eotalpa from the UK; they are not known from North America until the Miocene (Butler 1988).

<==Talpidae [Myaladae, Orycteri, Talpomorpha]
    |--Oreotalpa florissantensis MJ11, HUG17
    |--Eotalpa Sige et al. 1977 MJ11, SM93
    |    `--E. belgica OB13
    `--+--Neurotrichus Günther 1880 FS15, V67
       |    `--N. gibbsii FS15
       `--+--Scaptonyx Milne-Edwards 1872 FS15, P04 [Scaptonychini]
          |    |--S. dolichochir A05
          |    |--S. edwardsi A05
          |    `--S. fusicaudus FS15
          `--+--+--Scapanulus Thomas 1912 FS15, V67
             |  |    `--S. oweni FS15
             |  `--+--Parascalops True 1894 FS15, V67
             |     |    `--P. breweri FS15
             |     `--Scalopinae [Scalopini, Scapanei] MJ11
             |          |--Scapanus Pomel 1848 [=Scapaneus Winge 1917] V67
             |          |    |--S. latimanus FS15
             |          |    `--+--S. orarius FS15
             |          |       `--S. townsendii FS15
             |          `--Scalopus Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 1803 FS15, V67 (see below for synonymy)
             |               `--S. aquaticus FS15
             |                    |--S. a. aquaticus B75
             |                    |--S. a. caryi F68
             |                    |--S. a. machrinoides Jackson 1914 B75
             |                    `--S. a. machrinus B75
             `--Talpinae MJ11
                  |--Urotrichini HO01
                  |    |--Dymecodon True 1886 V67
                  |    |    `--D. pilirostris FS15
                  |    |--Myxomygale Filhol 1890 HO01, V67
                  |    |--Urotrichus Temminck 1841 FS15, V67
                  |    |    |--U. pilirostris IT07
                  |    |    `--U. talpoides FS15
                  |    |--Paratalpa Lavocat 1951 MJ11, V67
                  |    |--Domninoides Green 1956 V67
                  |    |--Mydecodon Wilson 1960 V67
                  |    |--Scalopoides Wilson 1960 V67
                  |    `--Proscapanus Gaillard 1899 [=Proscapaneus Winge 1917] V67
                  |         `--P. sansaniensis A05
                  `--+--Talpini FS15
                     `--+--Desmaninae [Myogalina] B88
                        |    |--Mygalea Schreuder 1940 V67
                        |    |--Mygalinea Schreuder 1940 V67
                        |    |--Gaillardia Matthew 1932 [incl. Hydroscapheus Shotwell 1956; Gaillardiinae] V67
                        |    |--Geomana Brunner 1957 V67
                        |    |--Desmagale Kretzoi 1954 V67
                        |    |--Lemoynea G88
                        |    |--Desmana Gueldenstaedt 1777 FS15, P04 (see below for synonymy)
                        |    |    `--D. moschata FS15
                        |    `--Galemys Kaup 1829 [=Galomys Agassiz 1846; incl. Mygalina Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 1835] V67
                        |         `--G. pyrenaicus FS15
                        `--+--Condylura Illiger 1811 FS15, P04 (see below for synonymy)
                           |    `--C. cristata (Linnaeus 1758) B75
                           `--Uropsilinae HO01
                                |--Asthenoscaptor Hutchinson 1974 HO01
                                |--Mygatalpa Schreuder 1940 HO01, V67
                                |--Desmanella HO01
                                |--Mystipterus Hall 1930 HO01, V67
                                |--Theratiskos Hoek Ostende 2001 HO01
                                |    |--*T. mechteldae Hoek Ostende 2001 HO01
                                |    `--T. rutgeri Hoek Ostende 2001 HO01
                                `--Uropsilus Milne Edwards 1872 FS15, V67 (see below for synonymy)
                                     |--U. andersoni FS15
                                     |--U. gracilis FS15
                                     |--U. investigator FS15
                                     |--U. moschatus HUG17
                                     `--U. soricipes FS15

Talpidae incertae sedis:
  Nesoscaptor uchidai IT07
  Camphotherium Filhol 1884 V67 [=Comphotherium V67, Gomphotherium non Burmeister 1837 M66]
  Galeospalax Pomel 1848 V67
  Hyporyssus Pomel 1848 V67
  Scaptogale Trouessart 1879 [incl. Echinogale Pomel 1848 non Wagner 1841] V67
  Suleimania Hoek Ostende 2001 [Suleimaninae] HO01
    `--*S. ruemkae Hoek Ostende 2001 HO01
  Veratalpa Ameghino 1905 A05
    `--*V. lugdunensiana Ameghino 1905 A05
  Desmanodon HO01

Condylura Illiger 1811 FS15, P04 [incl. Astromycter Harris 1825 V67, Rhinaster Wagler 1830 V67, Talpasorex Schinz 1821 V67; Condylurini]

Desmana Gueldenstaedt 1777 FS15, P04 [=Desman Lacépède 1799 V67, Desmanus Rafinesque 1815 V67; incl. Caprios Wagler 1830 V67, Mygale Cuvier 1800 V67, Myogale Brandt 1836 V67, Myogalea Fischer 1829 V67, Palaeospalax Owen 1846 V67]

Scalopus Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 1803 FS15, V67 [=Scalops Illiger 1811 V67; incl. Hesperoscalops Hibbard 1941 V67, Talpasorex Lesson 1827 non Schinz 1821 V67]

Uropsilus Milne Edwards 1872 FS15, V67 [incl. Nasillus Thomas 1911 V67, Rhynchonax Thomas 1912 V67; Uropsilinae MJ11]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A05] Ameghino, F. 1905. La perforation astragalienne sur quelques mammifères du Miocène moyen de France. Anales del Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires, serie 3, 6: 41–58.

[B75] Bowles, J. B. 1975. Distribution and biogeography of mammals of Iowa. Special Publications, The Museum, Texas Tech University 9: 1–184.

[B88] Butler, P. M. 1988. Phylogeny of the insectivores. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 2. Mammals pp. 117–141. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[FS15] Faurby, S., & J.-C. Svenning. 2015. A species-level phylogeny of all extant and late Quaternary extinct mammals using a novel heuristic-hierarchical Bayesian approach. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84: 14–26.

[F68] Fisher, D. R. 1968. A study of faunal resemblance using numerical taxonomy and factor analysis. Systematic Zoology 18 (4): 48–63.

[G88] Gray, J. 1988. Evolution of the freshwater ecosystem: the fossil record. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 62: 1–214.

[HUG17] Halliday, T. J. D., P. Upchurch & A. Goswami. 2017. Resolving the relationships of Paleocene placental mammals. Biological Reviews 92 (1): 521–550.

[HO01] Hoek Ostende, L. W. van den. 2001. Insectivore faunas from the Lower Miocene of Anatolia—part 5: Talpidae. Zoologica Scripta 122: 1–45.

[IT07] Isaac, N. J. B., S. T. Turvey, B. Collen, C. Waterman & J. E. M. Baillie. 2007. Mammals on the EDGE: conservation priorities based on threat and phylogeny. PloS One 2 (3): e296.

[M66] McKenna, M. C. 1966. Synopsis of Whitneyan and Arikareean camelid phylogeny. American Museum Novitates 2253: 1–11.

[MJ11] Meredith, R. W., J. E. Janečka, J. Gatesy, O. A. Ryder, C. A. Fisher, E. C. Teeling, A. Goodbla, E. Eizirik, T. L. L. Simão, T. Stadler, D. L. Rabosky, R. L. Honeycutt, J. J. Flynn, C. M. Ingram, C. Steiner, T. L. Williams, T. J. Robinson, A. Burk-Herrick, M. Westerman, N. A. Ayoub, M. S. Springer & W. J. Murphy. 2011. Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution and KPg extinction on mammal diversification. Science 334: 521–524.

[OB13] O'Leary, M. A., J. I. Bloch, J. J. Flynn, T. J. Gaudin, A. Giallombardo, N. P. Giannini, S. L. Goldberg, B. P. Kraatz, Z.-X. Luo, J. Meng, X. Ni, M. J. Novacek, F. A. Perini, Z. S. Randall, G. W. Rougier, E. J. Sargis, M. T. Silcox, N. B. Simmons, M. Spaulding, P. M. Velazco, M. Weksler, J. R. Wible & A. L. Cirranello. 2013. The placental mammal ancestor and the post-K-Pg radiation of placentals. Science 339: 662–667.

[P04] Popov, V. V. 2004. Pliocene small mammals (Mammalia, Lipotyphla, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Rodentia) from Muselievo (north Bulgaria). Geodiversitas 26 (3): 403–491.

[SM93] Stucky, R. K., & M. C. McKenna. 1993. Mammalia. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 739–771. Chapman & Hall: London.

[V67] Van Valen, L. 1967. New Paleocene insectivores and insectivore classification. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 135 (5): 217–284.

Last updated: 9 February 2022.