- Eurotamandua
Taxobox
name = "Eurotamandua"
image_caption=Eurotamandua joresi
status = fossil
fossil_range = Early to MiddleEocene
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Mammalia
ordo = Afredentata
familia = Eurotamanduidae
genus = "Eurotamandua""Eurotamandua" ('
Europe an tamandua') is an extinctmammal that lived some 49 million years ago, during earlyEocene . A single fossil is known, coming from theMessel Pit . It was about 90 cm (3 ft) long. When it was first discovered, it was originally thought to be ananteater , as it lacked the characteristic fused-hair scales of other pangolins. "Eurotamandua"'s placement within the pangolins was done primarily because of a lack of the characteristic "xenarthran" joints found in allxenarthran s such as tamanduas. "Eurotamandua" may still be a stem Xenarthran, but likely belongs to another group entirely (Afredentata). While a distinct taxon, it is possible that "Eomanis krebsi" is also not a pangolin and belongs to this same group (Horovitz et al. 2005).Paleobiology
"Eurotamandua" bears characteristics found in almost all ant-eating mammals: long
claw s, a strongly elongated snout and most likely the same long, stickytongue . Presumably it also fed onant s andtermite s. "Eurotamandua" got its name because it strongly resembled modern arboreal anteaters of the genus "Tamandua ", especially with its long, prehensile tail.In popular culture
"Eurotamandua" appeared briefly in Episode 1 of "
Walking with Beasts ", live acted by atamandua .References
Horovitz, Ines et al. 2005. Ankle structure in Eocene pholidotan mammal Eomanis krebsiand its taxonomic implications. "Acta Palaeontol. Pol." 50 (3): 545–548
Hunter, John P. and Janis, Christine M. 2006. Spiny Norman in the Garden of Eden? Dispersaland early biogeography of Placentalia. "J Mammal Evol" 13:89–123
External links
*Online discussion of Eurotamandua relations [http://dml.cmnh.org/2002Oct/msg00511.html]
*Photo of fossil [http://www.uvm.edu/~jdecher/Eurotamandua.jpg]Gallery
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