Biology:Palaeanodonta

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Palaeanodonta ("ancient toothless animals") is an extinct order of placental mammals in the clade Pholidotamorpha. They were insectivorous (myrmecophagous), fossorial or semifossorial, and lived from the middle Paleocene to early Oligocene in North America, Europe and Asia.[1][2][3] While the taxonomic grouping of Palaeanodonta has been debated,[4] it is widely thought that they are a sister group to pangolins.[5][6][2][7]

Anatomy

Skull

Palaeanodonts generally have low and caudally-broad skulls, with notable lambdoid crests and inflated bullae and squamosals.[1]

Teeth

Despite the name of the group and contrary to their pangolin relatives, palaeanodonts are known to have had teeth.[8][1][7] Early palaeanodonts retained minimal tribosphenic post-canines while later species had peglike or otherwise reduced molar crowns.[8][1][7] Many also had large, characteristic cuspids.[8][7]

Classification and phylogeny

Former classification: Current classification:
  • Order: †Palaeanodonta (Matthew, 1918) (stem-pangolins)
    • Family: †Epoicotheriidae (paraphyletic family) (Simpson, 1927)
      • Genus: †Alocodontulum (Rose, 1978)
        • †Alocodontulum atopum (Rose, 1977)
      • Genus: †Amelotabes (Rose, 1978)
        • †Amelotabes simpsoni (Rose, 1978)
      • Genus: †Auroratherium (Tong & Wang, 1997)
        • †Auroratherium sinense (Tong & Wang, 1997)
      • Genus: †Dipassalus (Rose, 1991)
        • †Dipassalus oryctes (Rose, 1991)
      • Genus: †Myrmecoboides (Gidley, 1915)
        • †Myrmecoboides arenarius (Secord, 2008)
        • †Myrmecoboides montanensis (Gidley, 1915)
      • Genus: †Tubulodon (Jepsen, 1932)
        • †Tubulodon taylori (Jepsen, 1932)
      • Subfamily: †Epoicotheriinae (paraphyletic subfamily) (Simpson, 1927)
        • Genus: †Pentapassalus (Gazin, 1952)
          • †Pentapassalus pearcei (Gazin, 1952)
          • †Pentapassalus woodi (Guthrie, 1967)
        • Genus: †Tetrapassalus (Simpson, 1959)
          • †Tetrapassalus mckennai (Simpson, 1959)
          • †Tetrapassalus proius (West, 1973)
          • †Tetrapassalus sp. A [AMNH 10215] (Rose, 1978)
          • †Tetrapassalus sp. B (Robinson, 1963)
        • (unranked): †Epoicotherium/Xenocranium clade
          • Genus: †Epoicotherium (Simpson, 1927)
            • †Epoicotherium unicum (Douglass, 1905)
          • Genus: †Molaetherium (Storch & Rummel, 1999)
            • †Molaetherium heissigi (Storch & Rummel, 1999)
          • Genus: †Xenocranium (Colbert, 1942)
            • †Xenocranium pileorivale (Colbert, 1942)
    • Family: †Ernanodontidae (Ting, 1979)
      • Genus: †Asiabradypus (Nessov, 1987)
        • †Asiabradypus incompositus (Nessov, 1987)
      • Genus: †Ernanodon (Ting, 1979)
        • †Ernanodon antelios (Ting, 1979)
    • Family: †Escavadodontidae (Rose & Lucas, 2000)
      • Genus: †Escavadodon (Rose & Lucas, 2000)
        • †Escavadodon zygus (Rose & Lucas, 2000)
    • Family: †Metacheiromyidae (paraphyletic family)[3] (Wortman, 1903)
      • Genus: †Brachianodon (Gunnell & Gingerich, 1993)
        • †Brachianodon westorum (Gunnell & Gingerich, 1993)
      • Genus: †Mylanodon (Secord, 2002)
        • †Mylanodon rosei (Secord, 2002)
      • Subfamily: †Metacheiromyinae (paraphyletic subfamily)[3] (Wortman, 1903)
        • Genus: †Metacheiromys (Wortman, 1903)
          • †Metacheiromys dasypus (Osborn, 1904)
          • †Metacheiromys marshi (Wortman, 1903)
        • Genus: †Palaeanodon (Matthew, 1918)
          • †Palaeanodon ignavus (Matthew, 1918)
          • †Palaeanodon nievelti (Gingerich, 1989)
          • †Palaeanodon parvulus (Matthew, 1918)
          • †Palaeanodon sp. [Le Quesnoy] (Gheerbrant, 2005)
      • Subfamily: †Propalaeanodontinae (Schoch, 1984)
        • Genus: †Propalaeanodon (Rose, 1979)
          • †Palaeanodon parvulus (Rose, 1979)
    • Incertae sedis:
      • Genus: †Arcticanodon (Rose, 2004)
        • †Arcticanodon dawsonae (Rose, 2004)
      • Genus: †Melaniella (Fox, 1984)
        • †Melaniella timosa (Fox, 1984)

Phylogeny

Based on Rose (2000.) study:[8] Based on Rose (2005.) study:[6] Based on Rose (2008.) study:[1]
 
 
 Scandentia 
 Tupaiidae 

Tupaia

 
 
 
 
 
 †Leptictida 

†Leptictidae

 
 
 
 

Erinaceomorpha

 
 
 †Pantolesta 

†Pantolestidae

 
 "Pholidota" 
 †Palaeanodonta 
 †Escavadodontidae 

†Escavadodon

 
 

other Palaeanodonta

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 †Ernanodonta 

†Ernanodontidae

 
 
 
 †Pantolesta 

†Pantolestidae

 
 
 
 

†Escavadodontidae

 
 
 

†Epoicotheriidae

 
 
 

†Metacheiromyidae

 
 ? 

†Afredentata

 
 

Pholidota

 
 
 
 
Script error: No such module "Clade/labels".
 
 
 †Pantolesta 

†Pantolestidae

 
 †Palaeanodonta 
 
 †Escavadodontidae 

†Escavadodon

 
 
 
 

†Amelotabes

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

†Epoicotherium

 
 

†Xenocranium

 
 
 

†Tetrapassalus

 
 
 

†Dipassalus

 
 
 

†Alocodontulum

 
 

†Pentapassalus

 
 

†Tubulodon

 
 
 ? 

†Arcticanodon

 
 
†Metacheiromyidae
 

†Propalaeanodon

 
 
 

†Mylanodon

 
 
 

†Brachianodon

 
 
 

†Metacheiromys

 
 

†Palaeanodon

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Script error: No such module "Clade/labels".
 
Based on Kondrashov & Agadjanian (2012.) study:[3] Based on Hooker (2013.) study:[9] Based on Rose (2026.) study:[10]
 
 
 Eulipotyphla 

Erinaceus

 
 
 
 Carnivora 

Nandinia

 
 Pholidotamorpha 
 

Pholidota (sensu stricto)

 
 †Palaeanodonta 
 

†Palaeanodon

 
 
 

†Metacheiromys

 
 †Ernanodontidae 

†Ernanodon

 
 
 
 (Pholidota [sensu lato]) 
 
Script error: No such module "Clade/labels".
 
 
 

outhgroup

 
 
 

†Pantolesta

 
 †Palaeanodonta 
 

†Escavadodon

 
 
 

†Myrmecoboides

 
 
 

†Alocodontulum

 
 

†Amelotabes

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

outhgroup

 
 Pholidotamorpha 
 

Pholidota (sensu stricto)

 
 
 

†Euromanis

 
 
 

†Afredentata

 
 †Palaeanodonta 
 †Metacheiromyidae 
 

†Metacheiromys

 
 

†Palaeanodon

 
 
 
 
 
 (Pholidota [sensu lato]) 
 

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Rose, K. D. (2008). "9. Palaeanodonta and Pholidota". Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 135-146. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511541438.010. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gaudin, T. J.; Emry, R. J.; Wible, J. R. (2009). "The Phylogeny of Living and Extinct Pangolins (Mammalia, Pholidota) and Associated Taxa: A Morphology Based Analysis". Journal of Mammalian Evolution 16: 235. doi:10.1007/s10914-009-9119-9. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 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. 
  4. ↑ Averianov, A. O. & Lopatin, A. V. (2014.) "High-level systematics of placental mammals: Current status of the problem." Biology Bulletin, 41(9), 801–816.
  5. ↑ McKenna, M. C.; Bell, S. K. (1997). Classification of Mammals: Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. pp. 220-221. ISBN 978-0-231-52853-5. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rose, K. D.; Emry, R. J.; Gaudin, T. J.; Storch, G. (2005). "Xenarthra and Pholidota". The Rise of Placental Mammals. Origins and Relationships of the Major Extant Clades. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 106-126. ISBN 978-0-8018-8022-3. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Ungar, P. S. (2010). "Cenozoic Mammal Evolution". Mammal Teeth: Origin, Evolution, and Diversity. pp. 110-126. ISBN 978-0-8018-9668-2. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Rose, K. D.; Lucas, S. G. (2000). "An early Paleocene palaeanodont (Mammalia, ?Pholidota) from New Mexico, and the origin of Palaeanodonta". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 20 (1): 139-156. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020[0139:AEPPMP2.0.CO;2]. 
  9. ↑ Jerry J. Hooker (2013). "Origin and evolution of the Pseudorhyncocyonidae, a European Paleogene family of insectivorous placental mammals". Palaeontology 56 (4): 807–835. doi:10.1111/pala.12018. Bibcode: 2013Palgy..56..807H. 
  10. ↑ Rose, K. D.; Rabenstein, R.; Habersetzer, J.; Gaudin, T. J. (2026). "Anatomy of Eurotamandua joresi (Mammalia) from Grube Messel, Germany, based on computed tomography, and implications for its relationships. Part I: Background and forelimb". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. doi:10.1007/s12549-025-00686-x. 

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