Palaeomylus, MENG & WYSS & HU & WANG & BOWEN & KOCH, 2005

MENG, JIN, WYSS, ANDRÉ R., HU, YAOMING, WANG, YUANQING, BOWEN, GABRIEL J. & KOCH, PAUL L., 2005, Glires (Mammalia) from the Late Paleocene Bayan Ulan Locality of Inner Mongolia, American Museum Novitates 3473, pp. 1-26 : 8

Palaeomylus , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Palaeomylus lii , n.sp., the only species of the genus .

DIAGNOSIS: Differs from other early diverging members of Glires in having on upper molars a weak centrocrista between the paracone and metacone, distinct conules close to the paracone and metacone but distant from the protocone, and a distinct hypolophid connecting the pointed entoconid and the hypoconid on m3. Further differs from Mimotona , Gomphos , and Sinomylus in possessing only a single, evergrowing lower incisor (presumably di2) in each lower jaw. Further differs from Sinomylus in being larger, cheek teeth less unilaterally hypsodont, the apex of the protocone more lingual and confluent with the hypocone, weaker lophs but more distinct conules, lack of a mesostyle, a simpler p4 (the p4 of Sinomylus illustrated in Dashzeveg and Russell, 1988, has a better developed trigonid), and stronger hypolophid. Further differs from Tribosphenomys in being much larger, having a stronger hypocone shelf, more labially positioned conules, lack of an external cingulum, lower teeth more lophate than cuspate, and better developed posterior lobe on m3. Further differs from Eurymylus , Rhombomylus , and Matutinia in being smaller and having more cuspate cheek teeth that possess a less developed hypocone shelf. Further differs from Eomylus in having a low, transverse hypoconulid on m1–2, in lacking a diagonal shearing pattern, in having a broader third lobe on m3. Further differs from Heomys in having less inflated cusps.