Systematics of the genus Palaeictops Matthew, 1899 (Mammalia, Leptictidae), with the description of two new species from the Middle Eocene of Utah and Wyoming

Title Variants

Alternative: Systematics of Palaeictops

Related Titles

Series: American Museum novitates, no. 3867

By

Velazco, Paúl M. , author

Novacek, Michael J. , author

Type

Book

Material

Published material

Publication info

New York, NY American Museum of Natural History [2016]

Notes

Caption title.

"November 18, 2016."

Palaeictops is a genus of early Cenozoic Leptictidae, currently comprising six species known from Eocene faunas in the United States and Canada. Two new species, Palaeictops altimontis and P. robustus, are represented by nearly complete skulls and mandibles from the Tepee Trail (Middle Eocene) and Uinta (Middle Eocene) formations of Wyoming and Utah, respectively. They are similar to other species of Palaeictops in having a single sagittal crest, small suprameatal foramen, and an expanded cochlear fossula. Phylogenetic analysis recovered a monophyletic Palaeictops and a sister relationship of P. bicuspis and P. multicuspis with P. matthewi sister to this clade. The subfamily Leptictinae is herein recognized to comprise Blacktops, Leptictis, Megaleptictis, and Palaeictops. This group is distinctive in having a number of features that indicate a less sectorial cheektooth dentition than in the nonleptictine Prodiacodon and Myrmecoboides. The leptictines Palaeictops and Leptictis are also known from postcranial elements, and these show features, such as the distally fused tibia and fibula, that distinguish them from the condition in Prodiacodon. The late Cretaceous genus Gypsonictops is used as an outgroup for the phylogenetic assessment of leptictids herein, but it remains uncertain whether this taxon has a close relationship with other leptictids or lies outside the crown group Placentalia.

Subjects

Eocene , Fremont County , Leptictidae , Mammals, Fossil , Ouray Region , Palaeictops , Palaeictops altimontis , Palaeictops robustus , Paleontology , Phylogeny , Utah , Wyoming

Call Number

QL1 .A436 no.3867 2016

Language

English

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1206/3867.1
OCLC: 963843368