Zhelestidae

Wible, JR, Rougier, GW, Novacek, MJ & Asher, RJ, 2009, The Eutherian Mammal Maelestes Gobiensis From The Late Cretaceous Of Mongolia And The Phylogeny Of Cretaceous Eutheria, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (327), pp. 1-123 : 64-73

publication ID

0003-0090

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/266587BE-D555-FFFE-0A4C-7239FE70FBCF

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Zhelestidae
status

 

Zhelestidae

Nessov et al. (1998) reviewed the complicated history of Late Cretaceous Zhelestidae classification, with the major complication arising from the nonassociation of incompletely known upper and lower dentitions of the included taxa. Zhelestidae have been reported from Middle Asia, Japan, North America, and Europe ( Archibald, 1996; Nessov et al., 1998; Setoguchi et al., 1999; Archibald et al., 2001; Kielan-Jaworowska et al., 2004; Archibald and Averianov, 2005) and in addition to dental elements are known from referred isolated petrosals ( Ekdale et al., 2004), tarsals ( Szalay and Sargis, 2006), humeri (Chester et al., 2007), and femora (Chester et al., 2008). Kielan-Jaworowska et al. (2004) recognized 10 genera: from Uzbekistan Zhelestes , Sorlestes (also known from Kazakhstan and Japan), Aspanlestes , Parazhelestes , and Eoungulatum ; from North America Alostera , Avitotherium , and Gallolestes ; and from Europe Labes and Lainodon . Archibald and Averianov (2005) included Sorlestes and Eoungulatum in Zhelestes and Parazhelestes , respectively, and are continuing to revise the Middle Asian taxa.

Zhelestidae has been interpreted to be a paraphyletic stem lineage to placental ‘‘ungu- lates’’ within ‘‘Ungulatomorpha’’ ( Archibald, 1996; Nessov et al., 1998; Archibald et al., 2001; Kielan-Jaworowska et al., 2004) (fig. 31A). However, two of the principal proponents of this view recently have altered the allocation of zhelestids from ‘‘Ungulatomorpha’’ to Laurasiatheria (Archibald and Averianov, 2005; Averianov and Archibald, 2005), a broader grouping that includes cetartiodactyls, perissodactyls, carnivorans, pangolins, and bats. In contrast, the study by Wible et al. (2007), the most comprehensive analysis to date with regards to number of taxa and characters, identified zhelestids as stem placentals basal to cimolestids and asioryctitheres with no ties to placental ‘‘ungulates’’ or laurasiatherians (figs. 29, 30).

The monophyletic Zhelestidae identified by Wible et al. (figs. 29: H, 30) does not include one form, Eozhelestes mangit Nessov, 1997 , from the early Cenomanian of Uzbekistan, thought to belong to this clade by Averianov and Archibald (2005). In contrast, Eozhelestes is united with Paranyctoides (see below). Zhelestidae is supported by five molar synapomorphies (figs. 33, 34; appendix 4: node H): M2 stylar shelf less than 25% total tooth width (character 65); M2 postmetacrista weak or absent (character 83); M2 conular region wide (greater than 0.51 total tooth length) (character 91); M2 protocone height subequal to paracone and metacone (character 96); and m2 hypoconulid close approximation to entoconid (character 120). Interestingly, Eozhelestes is unknown for the first four characters and has the zhelestid state for the fifth.

Within Zhelestidae , Sheikhdzheilia from the early Cenomanian of Uzbekistan (Averianov and Archibald, 2005) is the oldest as well as the basalmost form (fig. 30), confirming Averianov and Archibald’s (2005: 599) observation that it was ‘‘possibly the one retaining the greatest number of ancestral characters among known zhelestids.’’ Two monophyletic clades are identified: a North American clade with Avitotherium and Gallolestes ; and an Uzbekistani clade with Parazhelestes , Zhelestes , and Aspanlestes . The former is support- ed by two molar synapomorphies (appendix 4: node H 3): M2 precingulum present (character 97; fig. 33) and m2 anterior and labial (mesiobuccal) cingular cuspule (f) present (character 114). The latter is supported by seven postcanine synapomorphies (appendix 4: node H 4): penultimate lower premolar with metaconid swelling (character 53); ultimate lower premolar paraconid indistinctive (character 55); M2 metastylar lobe labial relative to parastylar lobe (character 66; fig. 33); M2 preparastyle present (character 69; fig. 33); m2 protocristid transverse (character 113; fig. 34); m2 cristid obliqua attaching labial to notch in protocristid (character 116; fig. 34); and hypoconulid of ultimate lower molar short and erect (character 121). The phylogenetic analysis in Archibald et al. (2001), which did not include Sheikhdzheilia and Lainodon , identified a slightly different Middle Asian clade with Aspanlestes , Zhelestes , and Parazhelestes (including Eoungulatum ) and the position of the North American taxa was unresolved (fig. 31B).

Maelestes has few resemblances to zhelestids. One feature that is unique among Cretaceous eutherians to petrosals in Maelestes and to isolated petrosals attributed to Middle Asian zhelestids by Ekdale et al. (2004) is a short, horizontal prootic canal. Yet, these same forms differ in nearly every other petrosal character.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Proteutheria

Family

Zhelestidae

Loc

Zhelestidae

Wible, JR, Rougier, GW, Novacek, MJ & Asher, RJ 2009
2009
Loc

Batodon tenuis

USNM 2139
2139
Loc

Batodon tenuis

USNM 2139
2139
Loc

Batodon tenuis

USNM 2139
2139
Loc

Sheikhdzheilia

Averianov & Archibald 2005
2005
Loc

Sheikhdzheilia

Averianov & Archibald 2005
2005
Loc

Eozhelestes mangit

Nessov 1997
1997
Loc

Lainodon

Gheerbrant and Astiba 1994
1994
Loc

Parazhelestes

Nessov 1993
1993
Loc

Parazhelestes

Nessov 1993
1993
Loc

Kulbeckia kulbecke

Nessov 1993
1993
Loc

Avitotherium

Cifelli 1990
1990
Loc

Zhelestes temirkazyk

Nessov 1985
1985
Loc

Zhelestes

Nessov 1985
1985
Loc

Aspanlestes

Nessov 1985
1985
Loc

Aspanlestes

Nessov 1985
1985
Loc

Zhelestes

Nessov 1985
1985
Loc

Gallolestes

Lillegraven 1976
1976
Loc

Gallolestes

Lillegraven 1976
1976
Loc

Asioryctes nemegtensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1975
1975
Loc

Asioryctes nemegtensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1975
1975
Loc

Asioryctes nemegtensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1975
1975
Loc

Barunlestes butleri

Kielan-Jaworowska 1975
1975
Loc

Asioryctes nemegtensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1975
1975
Loc

Kennalestes gobiensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1969
1969
Loc

Kennalestes gobiensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1969
1969
Loc

Kennalestes gobiensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1969
1969
Loc

Kennalestes gobiensis

Kielan-Jaworowska 1969
1969
Loc

Cimolestes magnus

Clemens and Russell 1965
1965
Loc

Gypsonictops hypoconus

Simpson 1927
1927
Loc

Gypsonictops hypoconus

Simpson 1927
1927
Loc

Zalambdalestes lechei

Gregory and Simpson 1926
1926
Loc

Zalambdalestes lechei

Gregory and Simpson 1926
1926
Loc

Zalambdalestes lechei

Gregory and Simpson 1926
1926
Loc

Zalambdalestes lechei

Gregory and Simpson 1926
1926
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