Plesiadapidae

Plesiadapidae; Temporal range: early Paleocene - early Eocene
	Plesiadapis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Eutheria
Superorder:	Euarchontoglires
Order:	†Plesiadapiformes
Superfamily:	†Plesiadapoidea
Family:	†Plesiadapidae; Trouessart, 1897
Genera
	†Pronothodectes; †Chiromyoides; †Nannodectes; †Plesiadapis; †Platychoerops; †Jattadectes
Synonyms
	Plesiadapinae Trouessart, 1897

Plesiadapidae is a family of plesiadapiform mammals related to primates known from the Paleocene and Eocene of North America, Europe, and Asia.^[1]^[2] Plesiadapids were abundant in the late Paleocene, and their fossils are often used to establish the ages of fossil faunas.^[3]

Classification

McKenna and Bell^[1] recognized two subfamilies (Plesiadapinae and Saxonellinae) and one unassigned genus (Pandemonium) within Plesiadapidae. More recently Saxonella (the only saxonelline) and Pandemonium have been excluded from the family,^[4] leaving only a redundant Plesiadapinae. Within the family, Pronothodectes is the likely ancestor of all other genera, while Plesiadapis may be directly ancestral to both Chiromyoides and Platychoerops.^[3]

Popular culture

This mammal features in the novel Evolution written by Stephen Baxter.

References

^ ^a ^b McKenna, M. C, and S. K. Bell (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 023111012X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Thewissen, J.G.M., Williams, E.M., and Hussain, S.T. (2001). "Eocene mammal faunas from northern Indo-Pakistan". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (2): 347–366. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0347:EMFFNI]2.0.CO;2.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ ^a ^b Gingerich, P.D. (1976). "Cranial anatomy and evolution of early Tertiary Plesiadapidae (Mammalia, Primates)". University of Michigan Papers on Paleontology. 15: 1–141.
^ Silcox, M.T., Krause, D.W., Maas, M.C., and Fox, R.C. (2001). "New specimens of Elphidotarsius russelli (Mammalia, ?Primates, Carpolestidae) and a revision of plesiadapoid relationships". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (1): 132–152. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0132:NSOERM]2.0.CO;2.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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[McK&B-1] McKenna, M. C, and S. K. Bell (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 023111012X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Thewissen01-2] Thewissen, J.G.M., Williams, E.M., and Hussain, S.T. (2001). "Eocene mammal faunas from northern Indo-Pakistan". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (2): 347–366. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0347:EMFFNI]2.0.CO;2.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Gingerich76-3] Gingerich, P.D. (1976). "Cranial anatomy and evolution of early Tertiary Plesiadapidae (Mammalia, Primates)". University of Michigan Papers on Paleontology. 15: 1–141.

[Silcox01-4] Silcox, M.T., Krause, D.W., Maas, M.C., and Fox, R.C. (2001). "New specimens of Elphidotarsius russelli (Mammalia, ?Primates, Carpolestidae) and a revision of plesiadapoid relationships". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (1): 132–152. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0132:NSOERM]2.0.CO;2.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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