Pangolins and anteaters now nest with tiny Cretaceous Acristatherium in the LRT
These two taxa,
Late Eocene Patriomanis (an early pangolin) and much smaller Early Cretaceous Acristatherium, share a long list of traits – except teeth. Teeth are lost in Patriomanis.
Their cranial similarities escaped notice until yesterday.
Figure 1. Patriomanis, an early pangolin, compared to scale with Acristatherium (see figure 2).
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/patriomanis588-1.jpg?w=237″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/patriomanis588-1.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-92547″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/patriomanis588-1.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Patriomanis, an early pangolin, compared to scale with Acristatherium (see figure 2).” width=”584″ height=”738″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/patriomanis588-1.jpg?w=584&h=738 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/patriomanis588-1.jpg?w=119&h=150 119w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/patriomanis588-1.jpg?w=237&h=300 237w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/patriomanis588-1.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Patriomanis, an early pangolin, compared to scale with Acristatherium (see figure 2).
Again, obvious in hindsight,
this LRT clade nests between other terrestrial insectivores (Myremecobius + Orycteropus) = numbats + aardvarks and the tenrecs that give rise to the extinct pakicetids and extant odontocetes.
See the updated large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa) here.
Figure 2. Acristatherium skull in situ, DGS colors applied here and background removed from DGS colors.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acristatherium-skull588.jpg?w=187″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acristatherium-skull588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-92544″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acristatherium-skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Acristatherium skull in situ, DGS colors applied here and background removed from DGS colors.” width=”584″ height=”939″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acristatherium-skull588.jpg?w=584&h=939 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acristatherium-skull588.jpg?w=93&h=150 93w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acristatherium-skull588.jpg?w=187&h=300 187w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/acristatherium-skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Acristatherium skull in situ, DGS colors applied here and background removed from DGS colors.
Early Late Cretaceous Cronopio
Is a derived outgroup taxon.
Late Early Cretaceous Acristatherium yanensis
(Hu et al., 2010; early Cretaceous (Aptian), 125 mya, IVPP V15004) was originally described as a tiny eutherian mammal, here most closely related to pangolins among the Placentalia3 clade.
Patriomanis americana
(Emry 1970; Gaudin, Emery and Morris 2016, Late Eocene, Wyoming) is only slightly different from the extant pangolin, Manis. Patriomanis is based on several specimens.
This appears to be a novel hypothesis of interrelationships.
If not please provide a citation so I can promote it here.
References
Emry RJ 1970. A North American Oligocene pangolin and other additions to the Pholidota. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 142: 455-510.
Gaudin TJ, Emery RJ and Morris J 2016. Skeletal Anatomy of the North American Pangolin Patriomanis americana (Mammalia, Pholidota) from the Latest Eocene of Wyoming (USA). Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.
Hu Y-M, Meng J, Li C-K and Wang YQ 2016. New basal eutherian mammal from the Early Cretaceous Jehol biota, Liaoning, China. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0203 Published online
wiki/Acristatherium
wiki/Manis
wiki/Patriomanus
wiki/Pangolin = Pholidota
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/pangolins-and-anteaters-now-nest-with-tiny-cretaceous-acristatherium-in-the-lrt/
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