ZHELESTIDAE NESOV, 1985

Archibald, J. David & Averianov, Alexander, 2012, Phylogenetic analysis, taxonomic revision, and dental ontogeny of the Cretaceous Zhelestidae (Mammalia: Eutheria), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (2), pp. 361-426 : 362-363

ZHELESTIDAE NESOV, 1985 A

Zhelestinae: Nesov, 1985a: 15.

Zhelestidae : Nesov, 1990: 59.

Type genus: Zhelestes Nesov, 1985a .

Included taxa: The subfamily, Zhelestinae Nesov, 1985a; six zhelestid genera incertae sedis, Sheikhdzheilia Averianov & Archibald, 2005 , Borisodon gen. nov., Lainodon Gheerbrant & Astibia, 1994 , Labes Sigé in Pol et al., 1992 , Gallolestes Lillegraven, 1976 , and Avitotherium Cifelli, 1990 ; and questionably Eozhelestes Nesov, 1997 .

Revised diagnosis: Differs from other Cretaceous eutherians by a unique combination of derived states: upper molar stylar shelf width less than 25% of molar length; ectoflexus shallow to absent (reversed in Sheikhdzheilia ); conular region width more than 51% of the total molar width; paraconule prominent and midway or closer to paracone; protocone similar in height to paracone and metacone; p5 with incipient basin lingual to talonid ridge; protoconid subequal in height to paraconid and or metaconid.

Distribution: Asia, Europe, North America, and Madagascar; Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian – Maastrichtian).

Comments: A possible distinct taxon of Zhelestidae is represented by edentulous dentary fragments in the Cenomanian Khodzhakul Formation of Uzbekistan (‘Zhelestidae’ indet., unnamed large sp. A in Averianov & Archibald, 2005). An isolated axis from this locality, the holotype of Oxlestes grandis Nesov, 1982 , may be referable to this taxon (see Averianov & Archibald, 2005 for description and discussion).

‘ Sorlestes ’ mifunensis Setoguchi et al., 1999 from the Upper Mifune Formation of Japan is referable to Zhelestidae . The age of this stratigraphical unit was originally identified as Cenomanian- Turonian ( Setoguchi et al., 1999) and later changed to the Coniacian- Campanian ( Kusuhashi, Ikegami & Matsuoka, 2008), but the cited radiometric data 86.4 ± 7.8 Mya is at the Coniacian- Santonian boundary ( Gradstein, Ogg & Smith, 2004). This taxon is represented by fragmentary dentaries and lower dentition. Its generic attribution is not clear. Sorlestes Nesov, 1985a is considered here a junior subjective synonym of Zhelestes Nesov, 1985a (see below).