Ptolemaia and the IVPP V12385 specimen of Hapalodectes: together at last
Both are represented by small, crested and incomplete skull material
(Fig 1). Both nest among the pre-placental1 marsupials (for now), just prior to the larger hyaenodontids, oxyaenids and mesonychids in their own clade.
Figure 1. Ptolemaia and the IVPP V 12385 specimen of Hapalodectes are the same size and share many traits overlooked until today in the LRT.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ptolemaia_hapalodectes.skull588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ptolemaia_hapalodectes.skull588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-91877″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ptolemaia_hapalodectes.skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Ptolemaia and the IVPP V 12385 specimen of Hapalodectes are the same size and share many traits overlooked until today in the LRT.” width=”584″ height=”502″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ptolemaia_hapalodectes.skull588.jpg?w=584&h=502 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ptolemaia_hapalodectes.skull588.jpg?w=150&h=129 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ptolemaia_hapalodectes.skull588.jpg?w=300&h=258 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ptolemaia_hapalodectes.skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Ptolemaia and the IVPP V 12385 specimen of Hapalodectes are the same size and share many traits overlooked until today in the LRT.
Not big news. Not famous.
Just glad to make the match of these two rather small, relatively unstudied taxa – except that the IVPP V12385 specimen attributed to Hapalodectes was a late survivor of an Early Cretaceous radiation basal to Vulpavus and Nasua (Fig 2) in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa), which is basal to a long list of placental1 taxa including elephants and sloths, carnivores, primates (Fig 2) and artiodactyls.
Figure 2. Basal placentals including Vulpavus, Notharctus and Protictitherium to scale.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/protictitherium-notharctus588.jpg?w=111″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/protictitherium-notharctus588.jpg?w=380″ class=”size-full wp-image-66498″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/protictitherium-notharctus588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Basal placentals including Vulpavus, Notharctus and Protictitherium to scale.” width=”584″ height=”1573″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/protictitherium-notharctus588.jpg?w=584&h=1573 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/protictitherium-notharctus588.jpg?w=56&h=150 56w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/protictitherium-notharctus588.jpg?w=111&h=300 111w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/protictitherium-notharctus588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Basal placentals including Vulpavus, Notharctus and Protictitherium to scale.
?Hapalodectes ?hetangensis
(Ting et al. 2004; 7 cm skull length; Early Eocene 50 mya; IVPP V 12385) was originally considered a tiny mesonychid.The premaxilla is largely missing. Related taxa have a transverse premaxilla.
References
Ting SY, Wang Y, Schiebout JA, Koch PL, Clyde WC, Bowen GJ and Wang Y 2004. New Early Eocene mammalian fossils from the Hengyang Basin, Hunan China. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 36: 291-301.
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/04/19/ptolemaia-and-the-ivpp-v12385-specimen-of-hapalodectes-together-at-last/
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