More Tasmanian devil ancestors back to the Early Cretaceous of South America
This post expands upon
an earlier (Feb ’25) post focused on Early Cretaceous Vincelestes and extant Sarcophilus, the Tasmanian devil. Now two more taxa join these two: Early Cretaceous Ambolestes and Eocene Ernanodon – which earlier nested with Vincelestes, then elsewhere, now back again.
Figure 1. Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus) shown with Ernanodon, Vincelestes and Ambolestes.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vincelestes.amboletes2scale.jpg?w=223″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vincelestes.amboletes2scale.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-92882″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vincelestes.amboletes2scale.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus) shown with Ernanodon, Vincelestes and Ambolestes. ” width=”584″ height=”787″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vincelestes.amboletes2scale.jpg?w=584&h=787 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vincelestes.amboletes2scale.jpg?w=111&h=150 111w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vincelestes.amboletes2scale.jpg?w=223&h=300 223w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/vincelestes.amboletes2scale.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus) shown with Ernanodon, Vincelestes and Ambolestes.
The premaxilla of Ernandon
appears to be missing in large part based on phylogenetic bracketing – IF the phylogeny is correct. Here (Fig 2) missing parts are tentatively restored.
Figure 2. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus) compared to Ernanodon, Vincelestes and Ambolestes, the latter two from the Early Cretaceous.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ernanodon_skull_dorsal_palate588.jpg?w=124″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ernanodon_skull_dorsal_palate588.jpg?w=423″ class=”size-full wp-image-92884″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ernanodon_skull_dorsal_palate588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus) compared to Ernanodon, Vincelestes and Ambolestes, the latter two from the Early Cretaceous.” width=”584″ height=”1413″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ernanodon_skull_dorsal_palate588.jpg?w=584&h=1413 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ernanodon_skull_dorsal_palate588.jpg?w=62&h=150 62w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ernanodon_skull_dorsal_palate588.jpg?w=124&h=300 124w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ernanodon_skull_dorsal_palate588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus) compared to Ernanodon, Vincelestes and Ambolestes, the latter two from the Early Cretaceous.
In particular
note the squamosal (magenta) shelf extending over the zygomatic arch = jugal + squamosal in both Ernanodon and Sarcophilus (Fig 2).
Creating a cladogram = family tree involves finding the best matches from a list of taxa that are more or less different from one another. So, similar, but different is both the process and challenge. All the other clades in the LRT were easier than the mammal clade. Work continues.
What I learn, especially when correcting errors, I share with you. This is how the scientific method works. Someone else will take this study to the next level over the next few decades. That person could be you.
References
Boitard P 1842. L’Ursin de Harris. Le Jardin des plantes: Description et mœurs des mammifères de la Ménagerie et du Muséum d’histoire naturelle. Paris: Gustave Barba. p. 204.
Bonaparte JF 1986. Sobre Mesungulatum houusayi y nuevos mamíferos Cretácicos de Patagonia, Argentina [On Mesungulatum houssayi and new Cretaceous mammals from Patagonia, Argentina]. Actas del IV Congreso Argentino de Paleontología y Biostratigrafía 2:48-61.
Bonaparte JF and Rougier GW 1987. Mamiferos del Cretácio inferiorde Patagonia: IV Congreso Latinamericano de Paleontologia, Bolivia 1:343-359.
Bonaparte JF 2008. On the phylogenetic relationships of Vincelestes”. Historical Biology. 20 (2): 81–86.
Ding S 1979. A new edentate from the Paleocene of Guandong. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 17:57-64.
Harris GP 1807. Description of two new Species of Didelphis from Van Diemen’s Land. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 9: 174–78.
Marsh OC 1889. Marsupialia, Cimolestidae. American Journal of Science and Arts 3d ser., XXXVIII, 89, pl. iv, figs. 8–19.
Rougier GW, Wible JR and Hopson JA 1992. Reconstruction of the cranial vessels in the Early Cretaceous mammal Vincelestes neuquenianus: implications for the evolution of the mammalian cranial vascular system. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 2:188–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.1992.10011449
Ting S, Wang B and Tong Y-S 2005. The type specimen of Ernanodon antelios. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(3):729-731.
wiki/Sarcophilus Tasmanian devil
wiki/Ernanodon
wiki/Vincelestes
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/05/27/more-tasmanian-devil-ancestors-back-to-the-early-cretaceous-of-south-america/
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