Prolouisina, Hooker & Russell, 2012

Hooker, Jerry J. & Russell, Donald E., 2012, Early Palaeogene Louisinidae (Macroscelidea, Mammalia), their relationships and north European diversity, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (4), pp. 856-936 : 899

GENUS PROLOUISINA GEN. NOV.

Type species: Prolouisina atavella ( Russell, 1964) , late Selandian, Walbeck.

Etymology: From the Greek prefix pro, before, and Louisina , indicating a forerunner of this morphologically similar genus. Feminine.

Diagnosis: Small louisinid, with bulbous-cusped cheek teeth and weak exodaenodonty on both upper and lower molars. P 4 without preparacrista, with strong postprotocrista independent of moderate-sized hypocone. P 3–4 with relatively low paraconids. M 1 with: hypocone slightly lower than protocone; metacone slightly lower than paracone. M 1–2 with postparaconule crista and premetaconule crista (shared with Louisina and Te. brisswalteri ), crestiform hypocone and without metaloph. Lower molars without entoconulid. M 1 with: hypoconid more than half height of protoconid; entoconid more than half height of metaconid. M 1 paraconid small, high, cuspate (shared with Teilhardimys ). M 1–2 precingulid high mesially, independent of paracristid (shared with Thryptodon ).