Ptilocercus

Genus of mammals

Ptilocercus
Temporal range: 34–0 Ma
PreꞒ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Early Oligocene - Present
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Scandentia
Family: Ptilocercidae
Lyon, 1913
Genus: Ptilocercus
J. E. Gray, 1848
Type species
Ptilocercus lowii
Species

Ptilocercus is a genus of treeshrew and the sole member of the family Ptilocercidae.

Taxonomy

Today the genus (and family) is represented by a single species, the pen-tailed treeshrew (Ptilocercus lowii). However, this genus is very ancient and considered the most primitive of all the treeshrews. In 2016 a new species was described from China dated to the Early Oligocene about 34 million years ago. This species, Ptilocercus kylin, is so strikingly similar to the living species that it can be considered a sister taxa. This suggests that the Ptilocercidae have evolved little change over millions of years.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ Li, Q.; Ni, X. (2016). "An early Oligocene fossil demonstrates treeshrews are slowly evolving "living fossils"". Scientific Reports. 6: 18627. doi:10.1038/srep18627. PMC 4725336. PMID 26766238.
  2. ^ "Earliest-known treeshrew fossil found in Yunnan, China". Phys.org.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Apatemyidae?
  • Aethomylos
  • Apatemys
  • Asiapator
  • Carcinella
  • Frugivastodon
  • Heterohyus
  • Jepsenella
  • Labidolemur
  • Sinclairella
  • Unuchinia
Picrodontidae?
  • Draconodus
  • Picrodus
  • Zanycteris
Anagalidae
  • Anagale
  • Anagalopsis
  • Anaptogale
  • Chianshania
  • Diacronus
  • Eosigale
  • Hsiuannania
  • Huaiyangale
  • Interogale
  • Linnania
  • Qipania
  • Stenanagale
  • Wanogale
  • Zofiagale
Arctostylopidae?
  • Allostylops
  • Anatolostylops
  • Arctostylops
  • Asiostylops
  • Bothriostylops
  • Enantiostylops
  • Kazachostylops
  • Migrostylops
  • Palaeostylops
  • Sinostylops
  • Stenostylops
  • Wanostylops
Astigalidae
  • Astigale
  • Yupingale
  • Zhujegale
Pseudictopidae
  • Allictops
  • Anictops
  • Cartictops
  • Haltictops
  • Paranictops
  • Pseudictops
  • Suyinia
Glires
Scandentia
  • Ptilocercus
Tupaiidae
Primatomorpha
Dermoptera
Mixodectidae?
Plagiomenidae?
Cynocephalidae
Pan-Primates
    • see below↓
Anagale gobiensis

Tupaia tana

Cynocephalus volans
  • Asioplesiadapis
  • Pandemonium
  • Russellodon
  • Picrodontidae?
Purgatoriidae?
Micromomyidae
  • Chalicomomys
  • Dryomomys
  • Foxomomys
  • Micromomys
  • Tinimomys
Picromomyidae
  • Alveojunctus
  • Picromomys
Microsyopidae
Toliapinidae
  • Avenius
  • Toliapina
Paromomyoidea
Paromomyidae
Palaechthonidae
Plesiadapoidea
  • Chronolestes
Plesiadapidae
Carpolestidae
Crown-Primates
Strepsirrhini
    • see Strepsirrhini
Haplorhini
    • see Haplorhini
Purgatorius unio Plesiadapis tricuspidens
Taxon identifiers
Ptilocercus


Stub icon

This article about a mammal is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e