462:
140:
120:
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The skeleton of phenacodontids show several primitive characteristics (the long and heavy tail for example) but also a number of advanced, Perissodactyla-like adaptations: Their long legs, for example, had five fingers, but the first finger showed a clear reduction, and in some forms (like
381:
The teeth of phenacodontids, particularly in the latter forms, were quite specialized: The molars and premolars were equipped with low cusps that sometimes joined in ridges, similar to the condition found in some perissodactyls. Some forms, like
1217:
1081:
Tabuce, R., Coiffait, B., Coiffait, P.E., Mahboubi, M. & Jaeger, J.J. "2001" A new genus of
Macroscelidea (Mammalia) from the Eocene of Algeria: a possible origin for elephant-shrews."
1254:
Tabuce, R.; Coiffait, B.; Coiffait, P.E.; Mahboubi, M.; Jaeger, J.J. (2001). "A new genus of
Macroscelidea (Mammalia) from the Eocene of Algeria: a possible origin for elephant-shrews".
1109:
388:, had enlarged ridges. This adaptation is unusual for mammals as old as phenacodontids. Only a few other archaic mammals possessed teeth with similar structures, such as
747:
analyses have revealed effective relationships between the various groups of "condylarths". One phylogeny suggests there may be close correlations between a
1374:
335:(about 60β50 million years ago) and their fossil remains have been found in North America and Europe. The only unequivocal Asian phenacodontid is
408:, for example, was the size of a fox. Later forms were much larger and invaded Europe, although they never became as plentiful as in North America.
1014:
411:
Towards the beginning of the Eocene these animals slowly disappeared from the fossil record. Only a few forms survived into the middle Eocene: the
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Tabuce, R.; Marivaux, L.; Adaci, M.; Bensalah, M.; Hartenberger, J.L.; Mahboubi, M.; Mebrouk, F.; Tafforeau, P.; Jaeger, J.J. (2007).
1432:
1534:
1524:
1240:. Vol. 1: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulate-like Mammals. Cambridge University Press. pp. 292β331.
1226:
1236:
Archibald, J. D. (1998). "Archaic ungulates ("Condylarthra")". In Janis, C. M.; Scott, K. M.; Jacobs, L. L. (eds.).
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378:
Some species had tapir-like adaptations suggestive of the presence of a short proboscis or a strong prehensile lip.
1366:
1267:
458:
is often illustrated as a typical example of a "condylarth", due to the remarkable abundance of fossil remains.
1245:
Prothero, D. R.; Manning, E. M.; Fischer, M. (1988). "The phylogeny of the ungulates". In Benton, M. J. (ed.).
1329:(1990). "Evolution of Paleocene and Eocene Phenacodontidae (Mammalia, Condylarthra)". Papers on Paleontology.
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139:
1529:
1514:
1509:
402:
The phenacodontids evolved in the middle
Paleocene in North America. Early forms were usually small;
1351:
1068:
1499:
1519:
1135:(Mammalia, Phenacodontidae) from the Early Paleocene of New Mexico: Morpho-Functional Analysis".
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clade. Later phylogenetic studies confirm that phenacodonts were most closely related to modern
1476:
1387:
1471:
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1338:
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1008:
897:
792:
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8:
1164:"Resolving the relationships of Paleocene placental mammals: Paleocene mammal phylogeny"
934:
913:
Cooper, L. N.; Seiffert, E. R.; Clementz, M.; Madar, S. I.; Bajpai, S.; Hussain, S. T.;
367:). The skull of phenacodontids is long and narrow, and equipped with a small braincase.
1309:
1284:
1271:
1188:
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953:
918:
811:
The specialized teeth found in at least some phenacodontids seem to indicate a primary
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390:
134:
1218:
Mammoths, Sabertooths, and
Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe
1458:
1314:
1222:
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958:
919:"Anthracobunids from the Middle Eocene of India and Pakistan are stem Perissodactyls"
874:
800:
725:
316:
194:
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1304:
1296:
1285:"Early Tertiary mammals from North Africa reinforce the molecular Afrotheria clade"
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These animals had a variety of body sizes, and could be as small as domestic cats (
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229:
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1131:
P. Kondrashov, Spencer G. Lucas (January 2012). "Nearly
Complete Skeleton of
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An exception to the scarcity of Eocene phenacodontids is the dog-sized genus
69:
1033:"Evolution of Paleocene and Eocene Phenacodontidae (Mammalia, Condylarthra)"
878:
1318:
1300:
1197:
962:
451:
447:
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815:
lifestyle. The shape of the legs indicated that some phenacodontids (like
1162:
Halliday, Thomas J. D.; Upchurch, Paul; Goswami, Anjali (February 2017).
812:
796:
752:
44:
1244:
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1094:
Archibald, DJ; 1998 "Carnivores, Ungulates, and
Ungulatelike Mammals."
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1249:. Vol. 2: Mammals. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. pp. 201β234.
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769:. The clade including these forms would be analogous to the clade
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of 2012 recover phenacodontids as a series of sister taxa to the
446:
Phenacodontids have classically been included in the large group
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10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0535:angomm]2.0.co;2
912:
759:, perissodactyls and phenacodontids and another clade with
1161:
833:, a basal perissodactyl from the Paleocene of China
1247:The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods
981:"A new late Paleocene phenacodontid 'condylarth'
1491:
1367:"Laurasiatheria: Ferungulata: Phenacodontidae"
1238:Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America
783:, the condylarths are better understood as an
1124:
1075:
776:According to more recent views, instead of a
1088:
1013:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
979:Bin Baia, Yuan-Qing Wanga, Jin Meng (2019).
908:
906:
1214:
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323:, which may instead represent early-stage
118:
1325:
1308:
1235:
1187:
1110:"Phenacodontidae: I feel like I know you"
1027:
952:
942:
903:
868:
460:
375:) the fifth finger was reduced as well.
1215:Agusti, Jordi; Anton, Mauricio (2002).
985:from the Clark's Fork Basin of Wyoming"
969:
1492:
1386:
1385:
1116:. Scientific American. Archived from
1107:
850:
212:
438:, whose fossils are very abundant.
13:
1289:Proceedings of the Royal Society B
1256:Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
1083:Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
14:
1546:
1359:
441:
327:. They lived from the late early
1377:from the original on 2022-06-26.
1333:. University of Michigan: 1β107.
138:
42:
1155:
1108:Naish, Darren (8 August 2013).
1042:. University of Michigan: 1β120
806:
1101:
1021:
885:
853:"A new type of Perissodactyla"
844:
502:Tetraclaenodon septentrionalis
344:
1:
1221:. Columbia University Press.
1208:
1001:10.1080/08912963.2019.1652283
417:in Europe and North America,
315:traditionally placed in the β
944:10.1371/journal.pone.0109232
609:(Crusafont i Villalta, 1955)
397:
7:
1535:Prehistoric mammal families
1525:Paleocene first appearances
822:
562:(Patteron & West, 1973)
454:. In particular, the genus
10:
1551:
1096:Cambridge University Press
1038:. Papers on Paleontology.
733:Orthaspidotherium edwardsi
490:Tetraclaenodon floverianus
18:
1394:
716:Meniscotherium tapiacitum
496:Tetraclaenodon puercensis
361:) and as large as sheep (
224:
220:Subfamilies & genera
219:
135:Scientific classification
133:
126:
117:
30:
837:
19:Not to be confused with
1137:Journal of Paleontology
900:. Retrieved April 2013.
710:Meniscotherium chamense
1346:Cite journal requires
1301:10.1098/rspb.2006.0229
1063:Cite journal requires
819:) were swift runners.
787:that lead to the true
619:Phenacodus intermedius
519:Copecion brachypternus
469:
1472:Paleobiology Database
898:Paleobiology Database
793:Phylogenetic analysis
655:Phenacodus trilobatus
601:Phenacodus bisonensis
467:Ectocion ralstonensis
464:
311:of large herbivorous
851:Cope, E. D. (1881).
773:, proposed in 1998.
649:Phenacodus teilhardi
643:Phenacodus primaevus
572:Ectocion osbornianus
556:Novacek et al., 1991
1327:Thewissen, J. G. M.
1295:(1614): 1159β1166.
935:2014PLoSO...9j9232C
915:Thewissen, J. G. M.
857:American Naturalist
678:Lophocion asiaticus
674:Wang and Tong 1997
661:Phenacodus vortmani
637:Phenacodus matthewi
625:Phenacodus lemoinei
613:Phenacodus grangeri
566:Ectocion mediotuber
338:Lophocion asiaticus
1530:Eocene extinctions
1168:Biological Reviews
989:Historical Biology
917:(8 October 2014).
801:odd-toed ungulates
785:evolutionary grade
684:Lophocion grangeri
680:Wang and Tong 1997
607:Phenacodus condali
584:Ectocion superstes
470:
429:in North America.
391:Pleuraspidotherium
1515:Paleocene mammals
1510:Panperissodactyla
1487:
1486:
1459:Open Tree of Life
1388:Taxon identifiers
1180:10.1111/brv.12242
1120:on 10 March 2014.
726:Orthaspidotherium
631:Phenacodus magnus
548:Ectocion collinus
450:, now considered
317:wastebasket taxon
302:
301:
215:
195:Panperissodactyla
16:Family of mammals
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695:Meniscotheriinae
554:Ectocion ignotum
515:Gingerich, 1989
331:to early middle
285:Meniscotheriinae
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34:Temporal range:
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686:Bai et al. 2019
633:Thewissen, 1990
627:Thewissen, 1990
578:Ectocion parvus
568:Thewissen, 1990
544:Thewissen, 1990
542:Ectocion cedrus
527:Gingerich, 1989
525:Copecion davisi
504:Thewissen, 1990
475:Phenacodontinae
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305:Phenacodontidae
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1360:External links
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1262:(3): 535β546.
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1133:Tetraclaenodon
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1098:, pp. 292-331.
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442:Classification
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423:in Europe and
405:Tetraclaenodon
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352:Tetraclaenodon
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1044:. Retrieved
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1009:cite journal
995:(115): 1-8.
992:
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767:macroscelids
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498:(Cope, 1881)
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486:Scott, 1893
481:
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452:polyphyletic
448:Condylarthra
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1505:Condylarths
813:herbivorous
797:Altungulata
751:containing
706:Cope, 1874
697:Cope, 1882
693:Subfamiliy
603:Gazin, 1956
597:Cope, 1873
538:Cope, 1882
477:Cope, 1881
465:Cranium of
345:Description
37:61β48
1494:Categories
1209:References
1046:20 October
817:Phenacodus
718:Cope, 1882
712:Cope, 1874
657:Cope, 1882
645:Cope, 1873
594:Phenacodus
492:Cope, 1890
473:Subfamily
456:Phenacodus
414:Phenacodus
373:Phenacodus
364:Phenacodus
276:Phenacodus
128:Phenacodus
109:to middle
1029:Thewissen
983:Lophocion
830:Radinskya
789:ungulates
771:Taxeopoda
762:Microhyus
757:hyracoids
671:Lophocion
420:Almogaver
398:Evolution
329:Paleocene
268:Lophocion
244:Almogaver
213:Cope 1881
158:Kingdom:
152:Eukaryota
107:Paleocene
1411:Q3772948
1405:Wikidata
1375:Archived
1319:17329227
1276:85833115
1198:28075073
1031:(1990).
963:25295875
923:PLOS ONE
879:45953517
823:See also
765:and the
535:Ectocion
512:Copecion
426:Ectocion
358:Ectocion
260:Ectocion
252:Copecion
201:Family:
182:Mammalia
172:Chordata
168:Phylum:
162:Animalia
148:Domain:
1464:4945550
1438:3239507
1425:4527842
1371:Palaeos
1310:2189562
1189:6849585
954:4189980
931:Bibcode
896:in the
313:mammals
178:Class:
1451:103561
1317:
1307:
1274:
1225:
1196:
1186:
961:
951:
877:
723:Genus
700:Genus
668:Genus
591:Genus
532:Genus
509:Genus
480:Genus
333:Eocene
309:family
111:Eocene
105:Early
1477:42284
1446:IRMNG
1272:S2CID
1036:(PDF)
838:Notes
781:clade
749:clade
743:Some
189:Clade
1433:GBIF
1352:help
1315:PMID
1223:ISBN
1194:PMID
1069:help
1048:2014
1015:link
959:PMID
875:OCLC
355:and
45:Preκ
1420:EoL
1305:PMC
1297:doi
1293:274
1264:doi
1184:PMC
1176:doi
1145:doi
997:doi
949:PMC
939:doi
865:doi
1496::
1474::
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1341:}}
1337:{{
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1182:.
1172:92
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1139:.
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1060::
1058:}}
1054:{{
1040:29
1011:}}
1007:{{
993:33
991:.
987:.
971:^
957:.
947:.
937:.
925:.
921:.
905:^
873:.
861:15
859:.
855:.
803:.
791:.
755:,
394:.
341:.
319:β
191::
95:Pg
39:Ma
1354:)
1350:(
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999::
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941::
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927:9
881:.
867::
289:β
283:β
273:β
265:β
257:β
249:β
241:β
235:β
227:β
205:β
100:N
90:K
85:J
80:T
75:P
70:C
65:D
60:S
55:O
50:κ
23:.
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