Paschatherium
| Paschatherium Temporal range: Paleocene to Eocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Eutheria |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Family: | †Hyopsodontidae |
| Genus: | †Paschatherium Russel, 1963 |
| Type species | |
| P. russelli | |
| Species | |
| |
Paschatherium is a small extinct mammal of the Perissodactyla order, with an insectivore-like dentition. Its morhpology indicates an arboreal form, adapted climbing and running on trees. Paschatherium must have been extremely numerous in the latest Paleocene and earliest Eocene of Europe, since it makes up the majority of all mammal fossils in some fossil sites.[2]
Paschatherium has been viewed as a possible ancestor of our modern elephants, sea cows and hyraxes.[3] However, a 2014 cladistic analysis places it within stem perissodactyls.[4]
References
- ↑ Paleobiology Database
- ↑ Paleocene mammals of the world
- ↑ Agusti, Jordi; Anton, Mauricio (2002). Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11640-3..
- ↑ Cooper, L. N.; Seiffert, E. R.; Clementz, M.; Madar, S. I.; Bajpai, S.; Hussain, S. T.; Thewissen, J. G. M. (2014-10-08). "Anthracobunids from the Middle Eocene of India and Pakistan Are Stem Perissodactyls". PLoS ONE 9 (10): e109232. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109232. PMID 25295875.
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