Post by Infinity Blade on Apr 18, 2015 6:34:06 GMT 5
Leptictidium spp.
© @ DagdaMor
Life restoration of Leptictidium.
Temporal range: Eocene (Ypresian-Priabonian; ~50-35Ma)
Scientific classification:
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Order: Therapsida
Suborder: Cynodontia
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliaformes
Class: Mammalia
Legion: Cladotheria
Sublegion: Zatheria
Infralegion: Tribosphenida
Subclass: Theria
Clade: Eutheria
Order: †Leptictida
Family: †Pseudorhyncocyonidae
Genus: †Leptictidium
Species: †L. auderiense
†L. nasutum
†L. tobieni
†L. ginsburgi
†L. sigei
Fossil of L. auderiense.
Leptictidium ('graceful weasel') is a genus of extinct mammal that lived in Europe during the Eocene. It was an omnivorous obligate biped, as well as among the first clades to diverge from basal eutherians[1] that first appeared about 50 million years ago. Eventually, it and any other leptictids went extinct approximately 35 million years ago in the Late Eocene[2]; believed to be due to climate change causing the forests it lived in to disappear and be replaced by open terrain, which were apparently unsuitable to them and which they were unable to adapt to.
The forelimbs were proportionately small while the opposite was true for the hindlimbs (particularly at the distal ends). Manual digits I and V were notably small. Manual digit III was larger than the aforementioned digits with manual digits II and IV being the same size more or less and slightly smaller than digit III. The phalangeal tips were long and came to a point.[1]
There were wide diastemata existing in the antemolar row and the C1 canines resembled incisiors.[3] The transverseness of molars on the upper jaw was more prevalent in Leptictidium than in fellow members of its order existing in North America and the fourth premolars resembled molars.[4] Overall, in actuality, Leptictidium's teeth were proportionately small.[3] And of course, Leptictidium is believed to have possessed a small proboscis in life (similar to elephant shrews).
Leptictidium could have reached total body lengths of ~90 centimeters with the tail accounting for ~60% thereof.[5]
Rose (2006) conducted a study that compared the postcranial anatomy of Leptictis and Leptictidium. The former's skeletal morphology was consistent with a cursorial and sometimes saltatorial method of locomotion. Leptictidium had more reduced forelimbs than Leptictis and an unfused tibia and fibula unlike it, although pseudorhynchocyonids and leptictids were pretty similar to each other in terms of skeletal morphology, suggesting a close affinity between the two (and of course, both were related to each other in that they were both members or the order Leptictida). Rose (2006) concluded that Leptictidium was ricochetal.[6]
Leptictidium would have lived in quasi-tropical forested areas in Europe during the Eocene. Earth's temperature rose at the aforementioned epoch's beginning in an event known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Even in high latitudes the temperatures were from ~5-7°C.[7]
Leptictidium is well-known for its appearance in BBC's Walking with Beasts as the main protagonist(s) in its respective episode.
Leptictidium as it appeared in Walking with Beasts.
References:
[1] "Leptictidium nasutum n sp., ein Pseudorhyncocyonide aus dem Eozän der "Grube Messel" bei Darmstadt (Mammalia, Proteutheria) (Lister & Storch, 1985).
[2] McCenna, M.C, and S. K. Bell (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level.
[3] "Leptictidium tobieni n sp., ein dritter Pseudorhyncocyonide (Proteutheria, Mammalia) aus dem Eozän von Messel"
[4] Kenneth D. Rose (2006). The Beginning of the Age of Mammals.
[5] Paleocene mammals of the world
[6] "The postcranial skeleton of early Oligocene Leptictis (Mammalia: Leptictida), with a preliminary comparison to Leptictidium from the middle Eocene of Messel" (Rose, 2006).
[7] "Atmospheric condition, radiative forcing, and climate change as a consequence of a massive methane release from gas hydrates" (Schmidt & Shindell, 2003).
© @ DagdaMor
Life restoration of Leptictidium.
Temporal range: Eocene (Ypresian-Priabonian; ~50-35Ma)
Scientific classification:
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Order: Therapsida
Suborder: Cynodontia
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliaformes
Class: Mammalia
Legion: Cladotheria
Sublegion: Zatheria
Infralegion: Tribosphenida
Subclass: Theria
Clade: Eutheria
Order: †Leptictida
Family: †Pseudorhyncocyonidae
Genus: †Leptictidium
Species: †L. auderiense
†L. nasutum
†L. tobieni
†L. ginsburgi
†L. sigei
Fossil of L. auderiense.
Leptictidium ('graceful weasel') is a genus of extinct mammal that lived in Europe during the Eocene. It was an omnivorous obligate biped, as well as among the first clades to diverge from basal eutherians[1] that first appeared about 50 million years ago. Eventually, it and any other leptictids went extinct approximately 35 million years ago in the Late Eocene[2]; believed to be due to climate change causing the forests it lived in to disappear and be replaced by open terrain, which were apparently unsuitable to them and which they were unable to adapt to.
The forelimbs were proportionately small while the opposite was true for the hindlimbs (particularly at the distal ends). Manual digits I and V were notably small. Manual digit III was larger than the aforementioned digits with manual digits II and IV being the same size more or less and slightly smaller than digit III. The phalangeal tips were long and came to a point.[1]
There were wide diastemata existing in the antemolar row and the C1 canines resembled incisiors.[3] The transverseness of molars on the upper jaw was more prevalent in Leptictidium than in fellow members of its order existing in North America and the fourth premolars resembled molars.[4] Overall, in actuality, Leptictidium's teeth were proportionately small.[3] And of course, Leptictidium is believed to have possessed a small proboscis in life (similar to elephant shrews).
Leptictidium could have reached total body lengths of ~90 centimeters with the tail accounting for ~60% thereof.[5]
Rose (2006) conducted a study that compared the postcranial anatomy of Leptictis and Leptictidium. The former's skeletal morphology was consistent with a cursorial and sometimes saltatorial method of locomotion. Leptictidium had more reduced forelimbs than Leptictis and an unfused tibia and fibula unlike it, although pseudorhynchocyonids and leptictids were pretty similar to each other in terms of skeletal morphology, suggesting a close affinity between the two (and of course, both were related to each other in that they were both members or the order Leptictida). Rose (2006) concluded that Leptictidium was ricochetal.[6]
Leptictidium would have lived in quasi-tropical forested areas in Europe during the Eocene. Earth's temperature rose at the aforementioned epoch's beginning in an event known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Even in high latitudes the temperatures were from ~5-7°C.[7]
Leptictidium is well-known for its appearance in BBC's Walking with Beasts as the main protagonist(s) in its respective episode.
Leptictidium as it appeared in Walking with Beasts.
References:
[1] "Leptictidium nasutum n sp., ein Pseudorhyncocyonide aus dem Eozän der "Grube Messel" bei Darmstadt (Mammalia, Proteutheria) (Lister & Storch, 1985).
[2] McCenna, M.C, and S. K. Bell (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level.
[3] "Leptictidium tobieni n sp., ein dritter Pseudorhyncocyonide (Proteutheria, Mammalia) aus dem Eozän von Messel"
[4] Kenneth D. Rose (2006). The Beginning of the Age of Mammals.
[5] Paleocene mammals of the world
[6] "The postcranial skeleton of early Oligocene Leptictis (Mammalia: Leptictida), with a preliminary comparison to Leptictidium from the middle Eocene of Messel" (Rose, 2006).
[7] "Atmospheric condition, radiative forcing, and climate change as a consequence of a massive methane release from gas hydrates" (Schmidt & Shindell, 2003).
