Half-skull Danjiangia slides one node over to Dorcatherium
I was about to remove
tiny Danjiangia (Figs 1, 2) from the LRT before today’s morphological match turned out to be enough to retain this taxon. With only a half skull and no postcrania, Danjiangia is on the verge of being considered ‘scrappy.
Figure 1. If Danjiangia was a basal brontothere it was extremely tiny for a bronothere.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/embolotherium_skull588.jpg?w=158″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/embolotherium_skull588.jpg?w=538″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” class=”size-full wp-image-88513″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/embolotherium_skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. If Danjiangia was a basal brontothere it was extremely tiny for a bronothere.” width=”584″ height=”1111″ />
Danjiangia pingi
(Wang 1995; early Eocene, 50 mya) was originally described as a basal chalicothere with brontothere traits. Here it nests with Dorcatherium, which was added to the LRT a few years after Danjiangia was added. The lower canines remain large. Postorbital bar appears to be complete.
Dorcatherium and Danjiangia are indeed basal to chalicotheres, but by several nodes.
A basal chalicothere in the LRT
is the extant hyrax, Procavia (Fig 2) followed by Diadiaphorus. In the LRT these taxa are further derived from Danjiangia and Dorcatherium.
Figure 1. The rock hyrax, Procavia, shown to scale with several chalicotheres.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/chalicotherium588.jpg?w=122″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/chalicotherium588.jpg?w=415″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” class=”size-full wp-image-87217″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/chalicotherium588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. The rock hyrax, Procavia, shown to scale with several chalicotheres.” width=”584″ height=”1441″ />
Here
(Fig 1) the back half of the skull of Danjiangia is restored using a smaller and shorter (= vertical dimension reduced using Photoshop) Dorcatherium skull as a Bauplan.
Not a bad fit.
Figure 1. Eocene Danjiangia compared to larger and later Dorcatherium, both nesting at the base of the slender artiodactyls.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/danjiangia-recon588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/danjiangia-recon588.jpg?w=584″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” class=”size-full wp-image-88504″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/danjiangia-recon588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Eocene Danjiangia compared to larger and later Dorcatherium, both nesting at the base of the slender artiodactyls. ” width=”584″ height=”462″ />
In 2017
Danjiangia first entered the LRT one node over, basal to pigs. Adding taxa like Dorcatherium refined this hypothesis. That’s what adding taxa should do.
Dorcatherium naui
(Kaup 1833; Miocene and Pliocene, 1m long) a tragulid artiodactyl nests basal to camels and deer in the LRT. Cainotherium and pigs (genus: Sus) are the outgroup taxa. Note the long canines and elongate postorbital reaching the jugal.
PS
Aceratherium has been added back into the LRT bassed on the data in figure 1, nearly identical to the much larger and later Embolotherium (Fig 1).
References
Cope ED 1882. Paleontological Bulletin 34:187.
Kaup JJ 1833. Mittheilungen an Professor Bronn gerichtet. Neus Jahrbuch für Min. Geog. Geol., 1833 (1833), pp. 419-420.
Wang Y 1995. A new primitive Chalicothere (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) from the early Eocene of Hubei, China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 33(2):138-159
wiki/Danjiangia in German
wiki/Dorcatherium
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2024/09/03/half-skull-danjiangia-slides-one-node-over-to-dorcatherium/
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Humic & Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex
HerbAnomic’s Humic and Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex is a revolutionary new Humic and Fulvic Acid Complex designed to support your body at the cellular level. Our product has been thoroughly tested by an ISO/IEC Certified Lab for toxins and Heavy metals as well as for trace mineral content. We KNOW we have NO lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminum etc. in our Formula.
This Humic & Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral complex has high trace levels of naturally occurring Humic and Fulvic Acids as well as high trace levels of Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Potassium and more. There is a wide range of up to 70 trace minerals which occur naturally in our Complex at varying levels. We Choose to list the 8 substances which occur in higher trace levels on our supplement panel. We don’t claim a high number of minerals as other Humic and Fulvic Supplements do and leave you to guess which elements you’ll be getting.
Order Your Humic Fulvic for Your Family by Clicking on this Link, or the Banner Below.
Our Formula is an exceptional value compared to other Humic Fulvic Minerals because...
It’s OXYGENATED
It Always Tests at 9.5+ pH
Preservative and Chemical Free
Allergen Free
Comes From a Pure, Unpolluted, Organic Source
Is an Excellent Source for Trace Minerals
Is From Whole, Prehisoric Plant Based Origin Material With Ionic Minerals and Constituents
Highly Conductive/Full of Extra Electrons
Is a Full Spectrum Complex
Our Humic and Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex has Minerals, Amino Acids, Poly Electrolytes, Phytochemicals, Polyphenols, Bioflavonoids and Trace Vitamins included with the Humic and Fulvic Acid. Our Source material is high in these constituents, where other manufacturers use inferior materials.
Try Our Humic and Fulvic Liquid Trace Mineral Complex today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.