Metacheiromys
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''Metacheiromys'' ("next to ''Cheiromys''") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct
paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
subfamily Metacheiromyinae within extinct paraphyletic family
Metacheiromyidae Metacheiromyidae ("next to ''Cheiromys''") is an extinct paraphyletic family of myrmecophagous placental mammals within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived in North America and Europe from the late Paleocene to middle Eocene.R. M. Schoch (19 ...
in extinct order
Palaeanodonta Palaeanodonta ("ancient toothless animals") is an extinct clade of stem-pangolins. They were insectivorous (Myrmecophagy, myrmecophagous), possibly fossorial, and lived from the middle Paleocene to early Oligocene in North America, Europe and Asi ...
, that lived in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
(what is now
Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
) from the early to middle
Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
.


Etymology

The generic name means "next to ''Cheiromys''" because the scientist who saw the bones mistakenly thought that the animal was a
primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...
with hands like those of the
lemur Lemurs ( ; from Latin ) are Strepsirrhini, wet-nosed primates of the Superfamily (biology), superfamily Lemuroidea ( ), divided into 8 Family (biology), families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are Endemism, ...
s from genus ''
Daubentonia ''Daubentonia'' is the sole genus of the Daubentoniidae, a family of lemuroid primate native to much of Madagascar. The aye-aye ''(Daubentonia madagascariensis)'' is the only extant member. However, a second species known as the giant aye-aye ...
'', whose synonym is ''Cheiromys''.


Characteristics of taxa

''Metacheiromys'' was a small creature, and measured around long. It had long claws and a narrow head similar in shape to that of an
armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...
or an
anteater Anteaters are the four extant mammal species in the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue"), commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with sloths, they ar ...
(though it was actually related to the modern
pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smutsia''. ''Manis'' comprises four species found in Asia, while ' ...
s). The shape of its claws suggests that it probably dug through the soil in search of food, most likely small invertebrates. Unlike modern anteaters or pangolins, it had powerful canine teeth, but only a very few cheek teeth, instead using horny pads in its mouth to crush its food. ''Metacheiromys'' and its relatives, including the enigmatic ''
Ernanodon ''Ernanodon'' ("a sprout of toothless animals") is an extinct genus of placental mammal from extinct family Ernanodontidae within extinct order Palaeanodonta, that lived from the middle to late Paleocene in China ( Nongshan Formation) and Mongol ...
'', constitute the order
Palaeanodonta Palaeanodonta ("ancient toothless animals") is an extinct clade of stem-pangolins. They were insectivorous (Myrmecophagy, myrmecophagous), possibly fossorial, and lived from the middle Paleocene to early Oligocene in North America, Europe and Asi ...
, thought to be the sister taxon of
pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smutsia''. ''Manis'' comprises four species found in Asia, while ' ...
s.


Phylogenetic tree

The phylogenetic relationships of genus ''Metacheiromys'' is shown in the following cladogram:


See also

*
Mammal classification Mammalia is a class of animal within the phylum Chordata. Mammal classification has been through several iterations since Carl Linnaeus initially defined the class. No classification system is universally accepted; McKenna & Bell (1997) and Wils ...
* Metacheiromyinae


References

Palaeanodonta Eocene mammals of North America Fossil taxa described in 1903 {{paleo-mammal-stub