Herpetotherium is an extinct genus of metatherian mammal, belonging to the possibly paraphyletic family Herpetotheriidae. Native to North America from the Eocene to Early Miocene, fossils have been found in California, Oregon, Texas, Florida, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Saskatchewan.[1] The oldest species, H. knighti, is dated to around 50.3 mya,[2] and the most recent, an unnamed species, may be as recent as 15.97 mya.[1] A morphological analysis of marsupials and basal metatherians conducted in 2007 found Herpetotherium to be the sister group to extant marsupials.[3] It is the youngest known metatherian from North America until the migration of the Virginia opossum from South America within the last 2 million years.[4]
Some authors have regarded the species assigned to Herpetotherium (for instance, H. comstocki, H. marsupium, and H. merriami) as belonging to African and European genus Peratherium Aymard, 1850 on the basis of Simpson's observation that "the upper molars ... agree closely with Peratherium, less closely with other didelphid genera" and on Cope himself recognizing "there is no valid distinction between Herpetotherium and Peratherium" (Simpson, 1928, p. 6) [5][6][7] Yet other authors have continued to maintain generic separation for Herpetotherium and continue to assign new North American species of herpetotheriid marsupials to this genus.[8][9][10][11]
RestorationH. fugax (syn. Didelphys pygmaea, H. scalare, H. tricuspis, Peratherium fugax) (type)
H. huntii
H. knighti (syn. Centracodon delicatus, Entomacodon minutus, Peratherium morrisi)
H. marsupium Troxell, 1923, p. 508[12] (syn. Peratherium marsupium according to Simpson, 1928[13][14])
H. merriami (Stock and Furlong, 1922, originally named within Peratherium as Stock agreed with Simpson that Herpetotherium Cope 1873 was synonymous with Peratherium)
Herpetotherium has long been recognized as having a primitive morphology compared to other marsupials. For instance, Osborn (1907, p. 111) thought it represented an ancestral stock to both "later carnivorous and herbivorous types of marsupials", and thought it was evidence that polyprotodont opossum-like mammals must have given rise to other marsupials (Osborn, 1910, p. 154). Troxell (1923) strongly fixated on mandibular characters of Herpetotherium (though speaking specifically of H. marsupium, yet these are generally true of Herpetotherium) that he felt were especially comparable to Didelphis, such as "(1) the strong canine, (2) weak anterior premolar, (3) dominance of the protocone in the premolars, (4) fourth tooth of the series molariform, (5) position of mental foramen under this tooth, (6) identical form of the molars, (7) groove on the jaw suggesting an inflected angle," yet he pointed out several differences, such as "(1) absence of diastemata around the anterior premolar, (2) trend of the mental foramen forward instead of backward, (3) the inflected angle, seeming to begin beneath the molars" (p. 510).
Referencesedit
^ ab"Taxonomic occurrences of Herpetotherium recorded in the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
^"Taxonomic occurrences of Herpetotherium knighti recorded in the Paleobiology Database". Retrieved 17 December 2021.
^Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo; Ladevèze, Sandrine; Horovitz, Inés; Argot, Christine; Hooker, Jeremy J.; Macrini, Thomas E.; Martin, Thomas; Moore-Fay, Scott; de Muizon, Christian; Schmelzle, Thomas; Asher, Robert J. (2007). "Exceptionally preserved North American Paleogene metatherians: adaptations and discovery of a major gap in the opossum fossil record". Biology Letters. 3 (3): 318–322. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0090. PMC2390683. PMID 17426007.
^Bennett, C. Verity; Upchurch, Paul; Goin, Francisco J.; Goswami, Anjali (2018-02-06). "Deep time diversity of metatherian mammals: implications for evolutionary history and fossil-record quality". Paleobiology. 44 (2): 171–198. doi:10.1017/pab.2017.34. hdl:11336/94590. ISSN 0094-8373. S2CID 46796692.
^Stock, Chester. "Sespe Eocene Didelphids." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pp. 122-124, 1935. [Peratherium californicum sp. nov. No. 1943 Calif. Inst. Tech. Vert. Pale. Coll.]
^Krishtalka and Stucky, 1983, p. 232 provides a complete review of synonymy
^Korth, William W. "Review of the marsupials (Mammalia: Metatheria) from the late Paleogene (Chadronian-Arikareean: late Eocene-late Oligocene) of North America." PalZ [formerly Paläontologische Zeitschrift], vol. 92, pp. 499-523, 2018. [Herpetotherium tabrumi sp. nov.]
^Rothecker, Jennifer, and John E. Storer. "The Marsupials of the Lac Pelletier Lower Fauna, Middle Eocene (Duchesnean) of Saskatchewan." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 770-774, December 1996.
^West, Robert M. "Fossil mammals from the Lower Buck Hill Group, Eocene of Trans-Peco Texas: Marsupicarnivora, Primates, Taeniodonta, Condylarthra, Bunodont Artiodactyla, and Dinocerata." The Pearce-Sellard Series [Occasional publication of the Texas Memorial Museum, The University of Texas at Austin], no. 35, October 15, 1982.
^Korth, William W., and Jennifer Cavin. "New material of the marsupial (Mammalia, Metatheria) Herpetotherium merriami (Stock and Furlong, 1922) from the John Day Formation, late Oligocene, Oregon, USA." J. Paleontology, vol. 90, no. 6, pp. 1225-1232, 2016.
^Troxell, Edward Leffingwell. "A New Marsupial." American Journal of Science, vol. V, no. 30, article XLI, pp. 507-511, 1923.
^Simpson, George Gaylord. "American Eocene Didelphids." American Museum Novitates, no. 37, pp. 1-7, 1928.
^Simpson, George Gaylord. "American Eocene Didelphids." American Museum Novitates, no. 37, pp. 1-7, 1928.
External linksedit
3D Digital skull of Herpetotherium fugax.
Fossil Mammals at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
May 02, 2024
herpetotherium, extinct, genus, metatherian, mammal, belonging, possibly, paraphyletic, family, herpetotheriidae, native, north, america, from, eocene, early, miocene, fossils, have, been, found, california, oregon, texas, florida, montana, wyoming, colorado, . Herpetotherium is an extinct genus of metatherian mammal belonging to the possibly paraphyletic family Herpetotheriidae Native to North America from the Eocene to Early Miocene fossils have been found in California Oregon Texas Florida Montana Wyoming Colorado North and South Dakota Nebraska and Saskatchewan 1 The oldest species H knighti is dated to around 50 3 mya 2 and the most recent an unnamed species may be as recent as 15 97 mya 1 A morphological analysis of marsupials and basal metatherians conducted in 2007 found Herpetotherium to be the sister group to extant marsupials 3 It is the youngest known metatherian from North America until the migration of the Virginia opossum from South America within the last 2 million years 4 HerpetotheriumTemporal range Early Eocene Early Miocene 1 H huntii Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Family Herpetotheriidae Genus HerpetotheriumCope 1873 Type species Herpetotherium fugax Other species H huntii H knighti H merriami H tabrumi H valens H youngi Herpetotherium fugaxSome authors have regarded the species assigned to Herpetotherium for instance H comstocki H marsupium and H merriami as belonging to African and European genus Peratherium Aymard 1850 on the basis of Simpson s observation that the upper molars agree closely with Peratherium less closely with other didelphid genera and on Cope himself recognizing there is no valid distinction between Herpetotherium and Peratherium Simpson 1928 p 6 5 6 7 Yet other authors have continued to maintain generic separation for Herpetotherium and continue to assign new North American species of herpetotheriid marsupials to this genus 8 9 10 11 Contents 1 Species 2 Anatomy and morphology 3 References 4 External linksSpecies edit nbsp RestorationH fugax syn Didelphys pygmaea H scalare H tricuspis Peratherium fugax type H huntii H knighti syn Centracodon delicatus Entomacodon minutus Peratherium morrisi H marsupium Troxell 1923 p 508 12 syn Peratherium marsupium according to Simpson 1928 13 14 H merriami Stock and Furlong 1922 originally named within Peratherium as Stock agreed with Simpson that Herpetotherium Cope 1873 was synonymous with Peratherium H tabrumi Korth 2018 H valens syn Peratherium donahoei H youngi syn Peratherium spindleri Anatomy and morphology editHerpetotherium has long been recognized as having a primitive morphology compared to other marsupials For instance Osborn 1907 p 111 thought it represented an ancestral stock to both later carnivorous and herbivorous types of marsupials and thought it was evidence that polyprotodont opossum like mammals must have given rise to other marsupials Osborn 1910 p 154 Troxell 1923 strongly fixated on mandibular characters of Herpetotherium though speaking specifically of H marsupium yet these are generally true of Herpetotherium that he felt were especially comparable to Didelphis such as 1 the strong canine 2 weak anterior premolar 3 dominance of the protocone in the premolars 4 fourth tooth of the series molariform 5 position of mental foramen under this tooth 6 identical form of the molars 7 groove on the jaw suggesting an inflected angle yet he pointed out several differences such as 1 absence of diastemata around the anterior premolar 2 trend of the mental foramen forward instead of backward 3 the inflected angle seeming to begin beneath the molars p 510 References edit a b Taxonomic occurrences of Herpetotherium recorded in the Paleobiology Database Retrieved 17 December 2021 Taxonomic occurrences of Herpetotherium knighti recorded in the Paleobiology Database Retrieved 17 December 2021 Sanchez Villagra Marcelo Ladeveze Sandrine Horovitz Ines Argot Christine Hooker Jeremy J Macrini Thomas E Martin Thomas Moore Fay Scott de Muizon Christian Schmelzle Thomas Asher Robert J 2007 Exceptionally preserved North American Paleogene metatherians adaptations and discovery of a major gap in the opossum fossil record Biology Letters 3 3 318 322 doi 10 1098 rsbl 2007 0090 PMC 2390683 PMID 17426007 Bennett C Verity Upchurch Paul Goin Francisco J Goswami Anjali 2018 02 06 Deep time diversity of metatherian mammals implications for evolutionary history and fossil record quality Paleobiology 44 2 171 198 doi 10 1017 pab 2017 34 hdl 11336 94590 ISSN 0094 8373 S2CID 46796692 Simpson 1928 Stock Chester Sespe Eocene Didelphids Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences pp 122 124 1935 Peratherium californicum sp nov No 1943 Calif Inst Tech Vert Pale Coll Krishtalka and Stucky 1983 p 232 provides a complete review of synonymy Korth William W Review of the marsupials Mammalia Metatheria from the late Paleogene Chadronian Arikareean late Eocene late Oligocene of North America PalZ formerly Palaontologische Zeitschrift vol 92 pp 499 523 2018 Herpetotherium tabrumi sp nov Rothecker Jennifer and John E Storer The Marsupials of the Lac Pelletier Lower Fauna Middle Eocene Duchesnean of Saskatchewan Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology vol 16 no 4 pp 770 774 December 1996 West Robert M Fossil mammals from the Lower Buck Hill Group Eocene of Trans Peco Texas Marsupicarnivora Primates Taeniodonta Condylarthra Bunodont Artiodactyla and Dinocerata The Pearce Sellard Series Occasional publication of the Texas Memorial Museum The University of Texas at Austin no 35 October 15 1982 Korth William W and Jennifer Cavin New material of the marsupial Mammalia Metatheria Herpetotherium merriami Stock and Furlong 1922 from the John Day Formation late Oligocene Oregon USA J Paleontology vol 90 no 6 pp 1225 1232 2016 Troxell Edward Leffingwell A New Marsupial American Journal of Science vol V no 30 article XLI pp 507 511 1923 Simpson George Gaylord American Eocene Didelphids American Museum Novitates no 37 pp 1 7 1928 Simpson George Gaylord American Eocene Didelphids American Museum Novitates no 37 pp 1 7 1928 External links edit3D Digital skull of Herpetotherium fugax Fossil Mammals at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Herpetotherium amp oldid 1195333505, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
