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Apatemyidae Temporal range: Paleocene–Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Heterohyus nanus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Superorder:	Euarchontoglires (?)
Order:	†Apatotheria Scott & Jepsen, 1936
Family:	†Apatemyidae Matthew, 1909
Genera
†Aethomylos †Apatemys †Asiapator †Carcinella †Frugivastodon †Heterohyus †Jepsenella †Labidolemur †Sinclairella †Unuchinia

Apatemyidae is an extinct family of placental mammals that took part in the first placental evolutionary radiation together with other early mammals, such as the leptictids. Their relationships to other mammal groups are controversial; a 2010 study found them to be basal members of Euarchontoglires.

Common in North America during the Paleocene, they are also represented in Europe by the genus Jepsenella.

Apatemyids in life

Like most Paleocene mammals, the apatemyids were small and presumably insectivorous. Size ranged from that of a dormouse to a large rat. The toes were slender and well clawed, and the family were probably mainly arboreal. The skull was fairly massive compared to the otherwise slender skeleton, and the front teeth were long and hooked, resembling those of the modern aye-aye, both whom make their living by gnawing off bark with their front teeth to get at grubs and maggots beneath.

References

1. Lopatin, A. V.; Averianov, A. O. (2021). "First Apatemyid Mammal from Central Asia". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. doi:10.1007/s10914-021-09574-5.
2. Solé, F.; De Bast, E.; Legendre, H.; Rana, R. S.; Kumar, K.; Rose, K. D.; Smith, T. (2020). "New Specimens of Frugivastodon (Mammalia: Apatotheria) from the Early Eocene of India Confirm Its Apatemyid Status and Elucidate Dispersal of Apatemyidae". Biological Consequences of Plate Tectonics: 279–304. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-49753-8_12.
3. Silcox, M. T.; Bloch, J. I.; Boyer, D. M.; Houde, P. (2010). "Cranial anatomy of Paleocene and Eocene Labidolemur kayi (Mammalia: Apatotheria), and the relationships of the Apatemyidae to other mammals". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 160 (4): 773–825. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00614.x.
4. Agusti, J.; Anton, M. (2002). Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11640-3.
5. von Koenigswald, W.; Storch, G., eds. (1998). Messel: ein Pompeji der Paläontologie. Sigmaringen: Thorbecke. ISBN 3-7995-9083-8.
6. v. Koenigswald, W.; Schierning, H.-P. (9 April 1987). "The ecological niche of an extinct group of mammals, the early Tertiary apatemyids". Nature. 326 (6113): 595–597. doi:10.1038/326595a0.

External links

• Paleocene mammals of the world

v t e Euarchontoglires
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Placentalia
Euarchontoglires †Apatemyidae? Aethomylos Apatemys Asiapator Carcinella Frugivastodon Heterohyus Jepsenella Labidolemur Sinclairella Unuchinia †Picrodontidae? Draconodus Picrodus Zanycteris Gliriformes †Apatemyidae? †Picrodontidae? †Zalambdalestidae? †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 Duplicidentata Simplicidentata Euarchonta Scandentia Ptilocercus Tupaiidae Anathana Dendrogale †Palaeotupaia †Prodendrogale †Sivatupaia Tupaia Primatomorpha Dermoptera †Mixodectidae? Dracontolestes Eudaemonema Mixodectes †Plagiomenidae? Ellesmene Plagiomene Planetetherium Worlandia Cynocephalidae Cynocephalus †Dermotherium Galeopterus Pan-Primates see below↓
Pan-Primates Pan-Primates †Asioplesiadapis †Pandemonium †Russellodon †Picrodontidae? †Purgatoriidae? Purgatorius Ursolestes †Micromomyidae Chalicomomys Dryomomys Foxomomys Micromomys Tinimomys †Picromomyidae Alveojunctus Picromomys †Microsyopidae Arctodontomys Bartelsia Berruvius Choctawius Craseops Megadelphus Microsyops Nanomomys Navajovius Niptomomys Uintasorex †Toliapinidae Avenius Toliapina †Paromomyoidea Paromomyidae Acidomomys Arcius Edworthia Elwynella Ignacius Paromomys Phenacolemur Palaechthonidae Anasazia Palaechthon Palenochtha Phoxomylus Plesiolestes Premnoides Talpohenach Torrejonia †Plesiadapoidea Chronolestes Plesiadapidae Chiromyoides Nannodectes Platychoerops Plesiadapis Pronothodectes Carpolestidae Carpocristes Carpodaptes Carpolestes Carpomegodon Elphidotarsius Saxonella Subengius Crown-Primates Strepsirrhini see Strepsirrhini Haplorhini see Haplorhini
See also: Anagaloidea Plesiadapiformes Category

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