Pholidocercus hassiacus von Koenigswald & Storch, 1983

Taxonomy

Elephant Shrew

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia Linnaeus 1758
Order: Macroscelidea Butler 1956
Family: Amphilemuridae Hill 1953
Genus: Pholidocercus
Species: Pholidocercus hassiacus
Author Citation von Koenigswald & Storch, 1983

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Cenozoic
Period: Paleogene
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Eocene
International Age: Lutetian

Stratigraphy

Messel Formation

Provenance

Collector: T. Bastelberger
Date Collected: 06/01/1974
Acquired by: Field Collection

Dimensions

Length: 35 cm

Location

Messel Pit
Darmstadt-Dieburg District
Hessia
Germany

• amphilemuridae
• elephant shrew
• eocene
• hedgehog
• lutetian
• messel
• pholidocercus
• pholidocercus hassiacus

Comments

Generally, the genus is assigned to the family Amphilemuridae, which according to some researchers is more closely related to today's hedgehogs (Erinaceidae). According to other studies, a closer relationship to the elephant shrews (family Macroscelididae) is also considered for the family.

 

Taxonomy according to Fossilworks.

 

Diagnosis for Pholidocercus hassiacus von Königswald & Storch 1983 (translated from German by oilshale): “A stout, ground-dwelling animal of a good 35 cm total length (head trunk just under 20 cm, tail a good 15 cm). In biological adaptation type, it is comparable to recent hair urchins (Echinosoricinae). Scaly dermal ossifications in the tail region; long bristly dorsal hair; probably possession of a horny plate over the forehead, the extension of which is indicated by deep vascular grooves on the skull roof; split terminal phalanges. I1/, C1/ and the persistent dP/1 relatively enlarged: C/1 premolariform; P/4 with dominant inflated protoconid, very small metaconid, and short broad talonid process; paraconulus and metaconulus of upper molars not connected by shelves to their respective outer styli, and paraconulus not connected to paraconid; lophid-shaped paraconid of lower molars reaches approximately lingual margin of teeth; hypoconulid of lower molars reaches approximately lingual margin of teeth; hypoconulid of lower molars located approximately median and somewhat prominent distally. See also emended family diagnosis.”

 

Identified by von Königswald and Storch 1983 (this is one of the paratypes in their publication).

 

In 1978, the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt organized a special exhibition "Fossils from the Messel Pit". The same fossil was in many exhibits that the museum had which included fossils borrowed from other amateur collectors.

 

Reference:

von Königswald, W. & Storch, G. 1983: Pholidocercus hassiacus, ein Amphilemuride aus dem Eozän der "Grube Messel" bei Darmstadt (Mammalia, Lipotyphla). Senckenbergiana Lethaea 64, pp. 447-495, 27 text-figs.

 

Novacek, M. J.,  Bown, T. M.  and Schankler. D.  (1985). On the classification of early Tertiary Erinaceomorpha (Insectivora, Mammalia). American Museum Novitates 2813: pp. 1-22.

 

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

 

von Königswald, W. & Storch, G. 1983: Pholidocercus hassiacus, ein Amphilemuride aus dem Eozän der "Grube Messel" bei Darmstadt (Mammalia, Lipotyphla). Senckenbergiana Lethaea 64, pp. 447-495, 27 text-figs.

 

Novacek, M. J.,  Bown, T. M.  and Schankler, D.  (1985). On the classification of early Tertiary Erinaceomorpha (Insectivora, Mammalia). American Museum Novitates 2813: pp. 1-22.

 

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