Biology:Albertatherium

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Short description: Extinct genus of mammals

Albertatherium
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 86.3–83.5 Ma
↓
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Family: †Alphadontidae
Genus: †Albertatherium
Fox, 1971
Type species
†Albertatherium primus
Fox, 1971
Species
  • †A. primus Fox 1971
  • †A. secundus Johanson 1995

Albertatherium (meaning "beast of Alberta") is an extinct genus of alphadontid metatherians that lived during the Late Cretaceous of North America. The genus contains two species, Albertatherium primus (the type species), and Albertatherium secundus. Fossils have been found in the Eagle Formation of Montana and the Milk River Formation of Alberta.[1][2]

Taxonomy

Albertatherium is a member of the Alphadontidae, an extinct family of metatherians closely related to marsupials. Recent phylogenetic studies group it with other northern non-marsupial metatherians such as Alphadon and Turgidodon.[3][4] A 2016 phylogenetic analysis is shown below.[5]

Marsupialiformes
 
 

Gurlin Tsav skull

 
 
 

Borhyaenidae

 
 
 

Mayulestes

 
 
 

Jaskhadelphys

 
 
 

Andinodelphys

 
 

Pucadelphys

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Asiatherium

 
 
 
 

Iugomortiferum

 
 

Kokopellia

 
 
 

Aenigmadelphys

 
 

Anchistodelphys

 
 
Glasbiidae

Glasbius

 
Pediomyidae

Pediomys

 
 
Stagodontidae
 

Pariadens

 
 
 

Eodelphis

 
 

Didelphodon

 
 
 
Alphadontidae
 

Turgidodon

 
 

Alphadon

 
 

Albertatherium

 
 
 

Marsupialia

 
 
 
 

References

  1. ↑ Davis, B.M.; Cifelli, R.L.; Cohen, J.E (2016). "First fossil mammals from the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Formation (Santonian, northern Montana, USA), and mammal diversity during the Aquilan North American land mammal age.". Palaeontologia Polonica 67: 101–126. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Davis-4/publication/304495469_First_fossil_mammals_from_the_Upper_Cretaceous_Eagle_Formation_Santonian_northern_Montana_USA_and_mammal_diversity_during_the_Aquilan_North_American_Land_Mammal_Age/links/5771431708ae0b3a3b7d5cc1/First-fossil-mammals-from-the-Upper-Cretaceous-Eagle-Formation-Santonian-northern-Montana-USA-and-mammal-diversity-during-the-Aquilan-North-American-Land-Mammal-Age.pdf. 
  2. ↑ Johanson, Zerina (1995-02-15). "New information concerning the Late Cretaceous marsupial Albertatherium Fox, 1971". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 14 (4): 595–602. doi:10.1080/02724634.1995.10011581. ISSN 0272-4634. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.1995.10011581. 
  3. ↑ Guillermo W. Rougier; Brian M. Davis; Michael J. Novacek (2015). "A deltatheroidan mammal from the Upper Cretaceous Baynshiree Formation, eastern Mongolia". Cretaceous Research. 52, Part A: 167–177. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.09.009.
  4. ↑ S. Bi, X. Jin, S. Li and T. Du. 2015. A new Cretaceous metatherian mammal from Henan, China. PeerJ 3:e896
  5. ↑ Wilson, G.P.; Ekdale, E.G.; Hoganson, J.W.; Calede, J.J.; Linden, A.V. (2016). "A large carnivorous mammal from the Late Cretaceous and the North American origin of marsupials". Nature Communications 7: 13734. doi:10.1038/ncomms13734. PMID 27929063. 

Wikidata ☰ Q3825052 entry