Let’s compare Phenacodus to Palaeomastodon and Elephas
This is part 2 of a 2-part series on elephants and their relatives.
Phenacodus (Fig 1 top, Fig 2) is not often compared to basal elephants like Elephas (Fig 1 bottom) and Palaeomastodon (Fig 2). Today that comparison is made as Phenacodus moves to the base of the elephant clade in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2329 taxa) pulling them away from sirenians and hyraxes.
Figure 1. Phenacodus (above and in yellow) conmpared to Elephas (below).
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=174″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-90289″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Phenacodus (above and in yellow) conmpared to Elephas (below). ” width=”584″ height=”1006″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=584&h=1006 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=87&h=150 87w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=174&h=300 174w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Phenacodus (above and in yellow) conmpared to Elephas (below).
Elephants traditionally nested
with distinctly different sirenians and rock hyraxes. Now elephants nest with a more similar taxon, Late Paleocene Phenacodus, apart from traditional relatives.
Figure 2. Palaeomastodon skull compared to much smaller Phenacodus skull. On frame 3 the Phenacodus skull is enlarged and distorted in the manner of Palaeomastodon.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeomastodon.phenacodus588.gif?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeomastodon.phenacodus588.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-90290″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeomastodon.phenacodus588.gif” alt=”Figure 2. Palaeomastodon skull compared to much smaller Phenacodus skull. On frame 3 the Phenacodus skull is enlarged and distorted in the manner of Palaeomastodon. ” width=”584″ height=”574″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeomastodon.phenacodus588.gif?w=584&h=574 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeomastodon.phenacodus588.gif?w=150&h=147 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeomastodon.phenacodus588.gif?w=300&h=295 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeomastodon.phenacodus588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Palaeomastodon skull compared to much smaller Phenacodus skull. On frame 3 the Phenacodus skull is enlarged and distorted in the manner of Palaeomastodon. Note the first hints of naris retraction and trunk origination evolving in Phenacodus.
Palaeomastodon beadnelli
(Illiger 1811; 2.2m tall at shoulder; Late Eocene, 36 mya) nests with Gomphotherium. The lower jaw extended, convergent with Astrapotherium. Note the retention of the upper canine only.
Phenacodus primaevus
(Cope 1873, Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene, 55 mya, 1.5m long) is one of the earliest and most primitive ungulates. Likely an omnivore, all four feet had five toes. All twenty claws were modified to become hooves. The middle finger and middle toe were the longest. Note the deep narial opening. No bones are fused. 44 teeth were present. Derived from a sister to Coryphodon, Phenacodus gave rise to elephants in the LRT.
Elephas maximus
(Linnaeus 1758) is the living Asian elephant. The nares are retracted to the forehead and a soft tissue trunk is present. The large skull is air-filled. The premaxillary teeth are transformed into tusks. Only molars appeat in the dentary. Close relatives include more primitive elephants going back to Phenacodus.
The LRT minimizes taxon exclusion.
This appears to be a novel hypothesis of interrelationships.
If not, please provide a citation so I can promote it here.
References
Cope ED 1873. Third notice of the extinct Vertebrata from the Tertiary of the Plains. Paleontology Bulletin 16:1-8.
Illiger CD 1811. Prodromus Systematis Mammaliumet Avium Additis Terminus Zoographicus Uttriusque Classis. Salfeld, Berlin, 301 pp.
Linnaeus C 1758. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata.
wiki/Palaeomastodon
wiki/Deinotherium
wiki/Numidotherium
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2024/12/06/lets-compare-phenacodus-to-palaeomastodon-and-elephas/
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