Eurotamandua

Eurotamandua

Taxobox
name = "Eurotamandua"


image_caption=Eurotamandua joresi
status = fossil
fossil_range = Early to Middle Eocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Afredentata
familia = Eurotamanduidae
genus = "Eurotamandua"

"Eurotamandua" ('European tamandua') is an extinct mammal that lived some 49 million years ago, during early Eocene. A single fossil is known, coming from the Messel Pit. It was about 90 cm (3 ft) long. When it was first discovered, it was originally thought to be an anteater, 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 all xenarthrans 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 claws, a strongly elongated snout and most likely the same long, sticky tongue. Presumably it also fed on ants and termites. "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 a tamandua.

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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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Eurotamandua — joresi Eurotamandua joresi (Zeichnung: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg) Zeitraum Mittleres Eozän 50 bis 45 Mio. Jahre Fossilfundorte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Eurotamandua —   Eurotamandua Rango temporal: Eoceno Medio …   Wikipedia Español

  • Eurotamandua — Tamandu européen …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Eurotamandua joresi — Eurotamandua Eurotamandua joresi (Zeichnung: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg) Zeitraum Mittleres Eozän bis Spätpleistozän 50 bis 45 Mio. Jahre …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Xenarthra — Nebengelenktiere Großer Ameisenbär (Myrmocophaga tridactyla) Systematik Unterstamm: Wirbeltiere (Vertebrata) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Eomanis krebsi — Eomanis Zeichnung von Eomanis Zeitraum Mittleres Eozän 50 bis 45 Mio. Jahre Fossilfundorte Deutschland (Grube Messel) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Eomanis waldi — Eomanis Zeichnung von Eomanis Zeitraum Mittleres Eozän 50 bis 45 Mio. Jahre Fossilfundorte Deutschland (Grube Messel) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nebengelenktiere — Großer Ameisenbär (Myrmocophaga tridactyla) Systematik Unterstamm: Wirbeltiere (Vertebrata) Überklasse …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pholidota (animal) — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda ? Pholidota …   Wikipedia Español

  • Евротамандуа — ? † Евротамандуа …   Википедия

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