Linking the bear-dog, Daphoenus, to the pre-artiodactyl, Ectocion ralstonensis, in the LRT
In evolution all taxa are more or less similar
= never the same. Even siblings vary slightly. Today the traditional bear-dog Daphoenus (Fig 1), is linked to the pre-artiodactyl = condylarth, Ectocion ralstonensis (Fig 1), known from a skull alone.
This novel hypothetical interrelationship was overlooked by other workers and by the large reptile tree (LRT, 2342 taxa) until today when corrections were made to these taxa and other taxa in the mammal subset.
Figure 1. The traditional bear-dog, Daphoenus here compared to the smaller traditional condylarth, Ectocion ralstonensis, nesting with the lophiodons at the base of the pre-artiodactyls. Viverravus includes too few elements to include in the LRT, but was tested and nested with Daphoenus.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/daphoenus_skull588.jpg?w=185″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/daphoenus_skull588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-95375″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/daphoenus_skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. The traditional bear-dog, Daphoenus here compared to the smaller traditional condylarth, Ectocion ralstonensis, nesting with the lophiodons at the base of the pre-artiodactyls. Viverravus includes too few elements to include in the LRT, but was tested and nested with Daphoenus.” width=”584″ height=”948″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/daphoenus_skull588.jpg?w=584&h=948 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/daphoenus_skull588.jpg?w=92&h=150 92w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/daphoenus_skull588.jpg?w=185&h=300 185w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/daphoenus_skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. The traditional bear-dog, Daphoenus here compared to the smaller traditional condylarth, Ectocion ralstonensis, nesting with the lophiodons at the base of the pre-artiodactyls. Viverravus includes too few elements to include in the LRT, but was tested and nested with Daphoenus.
According to Wikipedi,
“The origin of the amphicyonids is a highly debated topic, with their continent of origin remaining unresolved.” AND “Condylarthra always was a problematic group.”
The LRT includes 2342 taxa in order to permit the linking of previously overlooked taxonomic interrelationships. Long-standing enigmas (like those listed in Wikipedia) are eventually identified in this fashion in the LRT.
The teeth are different in shape,
but their number and position are the same. This is evolution at work. The overall shape of the skull is similar in both taxa (Fig 1) and so are many of the details.
A putatively similar taxon, Ectocion cedrus, does not nest with Ectocion ralstonensis in the LRT. Instead Ectocion cedrus nests with early pantodonts (uintatheres, elephants, etc)
Previously separated clades
must be somehow linked because every taxon and every clade is somehow linked. It’s our job to figure out what those link are and how that link is distancing the pairing from other taxa and clades throughout the taxon list. Despite working on the mammal subset of the LRT for nearly two years, that job is not yet done, but little discoveries like this indicate there is light at the end of this tunnel.
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/linking-the-bear-dog-daphoenus-to-the-pre-artiodactyl-ectocion-ralstonensis-in-the-lrt/
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