Palaeoryctidae

Palaeoryctids Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Paleocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Cimolesta
Family:	†Palaeoryctidae Winge, 1917
Genera
Aaptoryctes Aboletylestes Asioryctes Eoryctes Lainoryctes Naranius Palaeoryctes Pararyctes Tsaganius[1]

Palaeoryctidae ("old/stony digger", from Greek: ὀρύκτης, oryctes) is an extinct group of relatively non-specialized non-placental eutherian mammals that strived in North America during the late Cretaceous and took part in the first placental evolutionary radiation together with other early mammals such as the leptictids. ^[2]

Description

From a near-complete skull of the genus Palaeoryctes found in New Mexico, it is known that palaeoryctids were small, shrew-like insectivores with an elongated snout similar to that of the Lepticids. However, in contrast to the latter, little is known about palaeoryctids postcranial anatomy (the skeleton without the skull). ^[2]

Where the leptictids were short-lived, the paleoryctids seem to have been ancestors of Eocene species. While their dental morphology still indicate a mostly insectivorous diet, it, to some extent, also relate to Eocene carnivores such as creodonts. ^[2]

Taxonomy

The relationship between this archaic group and other insectivorous mammals is uncertain. ^[3] Palaeoryctidae was originally assigned to the now-abandoned grouping Insectivora by Sloan and Van Valen (1965) and more recently to Eutheria by Scott et al. (2002). Sister groups include: Kennalestidae, Nanocuridae, Pantolestidae, and Zalambdalestidae. ^[1]

Notes

1. "Palaeoryctidae". The Paleobiology Database. Retrieved January 2010.
2. Augustí 2002, p. 5
3. Gingerich 1982, p. 38

References

• Agustí, Jordi; Antón, Mauricio (2002). Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11640-3.
• Gingerich, Philip D (December 1982). "Aaptoryctes (Palaeoryctidae) and Thelysia (Palaeoryctidae?); New Insectivorous Mammals from the Late Paleocene and Early Eocene of Western North America" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology (University of Michigan) 26 (3): 37–47.

External links

• "Family: Palaeoryctidae: Occurrence overview". GDIF. Retrieved January 2010.
• "†Palaeoryctidae". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved January 2010.