Skeletal Anatomy of the North American Pangolin Patriomanis americana (Mammalia, Pholidota) from the Latest Eocene of Wyoming (USA)

Abstract

s m i t h s o n i a n c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o p a l e o b i o l o g y • n u m b e r 9 8 SerieS PublicationS of the SmithSonian inStitutionEmphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to History and Technology Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to ZoologyIn these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale monographs that report on the research and collections of its various museums and bureaus. The Smithsonian Contributions Series are distributed via mailing lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout the world.Manuscripts intended for publication in the Contributions Series undergo substantive peer review and evaluation by SISP's Editorial Board, as well as evaluation by SISP for compliance with manuscript preparation guidelines (available on SISP's "Author Resources" page at www.scholarlypress.si.edu). For open access, fully searchable PDFs of volumes in the Smithsonian Contributions Series, visit Open SI (http://opensi.si.edu). s m i t h s o n i a n c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o p a l e o b i o l o g y • n u m b e r 9 8Skeletal Anatomy of the North American Pangolin Patriomanis americana (Mammalia, Pholidota) Since its initial description more than 40 years ago based on a partial skeleton, several nearly complete skeletons have been discovered, together including nearly every bone in the skeleton. This taxon is thus not only the most completely preserved fossil pangolin but is also among the best preserved of any Eocene mammal taxon. In the present study we have prepared a detailed, bone-by-bone description of the osteology of Patriomanis, comparing it with other well-known fossil pangolin skeletons (Eomanis, Euromanis, Cryptomanis, and Necromanis), as well as representatives of the three extant pangolins genera (Manis, Smutsia, Phataginus). We provide a catalog of all known Patriomanis specimens and their provenance and an extensive series of measurement tables incorporating the comparative taxa. We analyze the alpha-level taxonomy of the genus, concluding that all specimens should be kept in a single species, Patriomanis americana, based on currently available fossil material. We summarize the taxonomic and phylogen...

Peer Review #1 of "Osteology of a forelimb of an aetosaur Stagonolepis olenkae (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia: Aetosauria) from the Krasiejów locality in Poland and its probable adaptations for a scratch-digging behavior (v0.1)"

“…Their surface ornamentation is similar to that on the unguals of, for example, armadillos (Hildebrand 1983), or on the bony surface of Bovidae horns (personal observation), which indicates the presence of a strong keratin sheath. In addition, the ungual of the first digit in S. olenkae is enlarged in respect to the others, similar to what is found in some pangolins and armadillos in which the primary digging digit become enlarged (Beddard 1902;Hildebrand 1983Hildebrand , 1988Gaudin et al 2016). Sulej (2010), based on the presence of a skull endocast with a very large olfactory tract and bulbous, large nares, and the shape of teeth, considered Stagonolepis olenkae to be an PeerJ reviewing PDF | (2018:02:26057:1:1:NEW 8 Aug 2018)…”

Skeletal Anatomy of the Basicranium and Auditory Region in the Metacheiromyid Palaeanodont Metacheiromys (Mammalia, Pholidotamorpha) Based on High-Resolution CT Scans

“…had a more extensive epitympanic wing than Metacheiromys (see Patterson et al 1992: fig. 18A, B), whereas that in Patriomanis was much less extensive (see Gaudin et al 2016: fig. 7).…”

“…4) and is more developed than that found in the armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus (Wible 2010), though perhaps not quite as extensive as that of the giant armadillo Priodontes maximus (Patterson et al 1989) or that of Palaeanodon (Patterson et al 1992). Patriomanis appears to lack a medial flange entirely (Gaudin et al 2016). The medial flange in AMNH 131777 is at its widest mediolaterally and thickest dorsoventrally at the posterior end, and tapers in both dimensions towards the anterior pole of the promontorium.…”

“…There is information on the auditory osteology of a somewhat older metacheiromyid palaeanodont, the late Paleocene through early Eocene genus Palaeanodon (Rose 2008), which was described and illustrated by Matthew (1918) and Patterson et al (1992), although the available material is less complete than that of Metacheiromys. Because of the hypothesized sister-group relationship between palaeanodonts and pangolins, we have also used the latter in our comparisons below, both extant taxa and the latest Eocene pangolin Patriomanis americana, which has been described in detail by Gaudin et al (2016), and is the only fossil pangolin represented by a well-described and illustrated auditory and basicranial region. In addition, because of the previously hypothesized link between palaeanodonts and xenarthrans (Simpson 1931), and in particular the resemblances noted between these forms in their auditory osteology (see Patterson et al 1992, Gaudin 1995, we have also employed xenarthrans for comparative purposes, in particular the extant armadillos Dasypus and Euphractus, whose auditory and basicranial anatomy is particularly well known Gaudin 2004, Wible 2010), and is similar to that of palaeanodonts in a number of respects.…”

“…Although often in the same horizontal plane in mammals, the promontorium in AMNH 131777 is positioned such that its rear is ventral to the plane of the basioccipital whereas its anterior pole is well dorsal to that plane. As noted by Patterson et al (1992), the promontorium is rounded and globose, much more so than that of the older metacheiromyid Palaeanodon, but less than that of the latest Eocene pangolin Patriomanis (Gaudin et al 2016). However, the former authors also stated that "there is no indication of shelving around the promontorium, as occurs in armadillos" (Patterson et al 1992: 58).…”