Tillomys parvidens, (Marsh, 1872)

Kelly, Thomas S. & Murphey, Paul C., 2016, Mammals from the earliest Uintan (middle Eocene) Turtle Bluff Member, Bridger Formation, southwestern Wyoming, USA, Part 1: Primates and Rodentia, Palaeontologia Electronica 7 (8), pp. 1-55 : 24

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.26879/586

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F05A22AE-8999-4E67-92B6-28ED7BAA3244

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FEEF63-8D54-8A11-8403-557EFC936C2B

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Tillomys parvidens
status

 

T.? parvidens ( Marsh, 1872)

Figure 7.8-9 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 , Table 4

Referred specimens. From SDSNH Locality 5841: m1 or 2, SDSNH 110379. From DMNH Locality 4672: m1 or 2, DMNH 75329; m3, DMNH 75288. From UCM Locality 92189: partial m1 or 2, UCM 68533.

Description. The three m1 or 2s are very similar in occlusal morphology to those referred above to Tillomys senex including the following: 1) a robust, tall trigonid; 2) an incomplete metalophulid II; 3) an isolated mesoconid; 4) an incomplete hypolophid that is orientated obliquely posteriorly; and 5) a robust posterior cingulid. They differ from those referred to T. senex in being slightly smaller and by having a double-cusped mesoconid that is slightly less elongate transversely and a slightly shorter hypolophid.

The m3 is unworn and has a rectangular, elongate occlusal outline. The primary cusps (protoconid, metaconid, hypoconid, and entoconid) are robust. The anterior cingulid is a thick, short cristid extending from the anterior edge of the protoconid to the labial base of the metaconid. A moderate metastylid crest extends posteriorly from the metaconid. The metalophulid II (posterior arm of the protoconid) is incomplete, extending lingually from the protoconid to terminate near the posterolabial base of the metaconid. The mesoconid is isolated from the protoconid and hypoconid and is doubled (two swellings or incipient cusps). The entoconid is prominent with a very short hypolophid extending posteriorly and at an oblique angle from it. The posterior cingulid is robust extending lingually in an arc from the hypoconid and terminating at the posterolingual corner of the tooth, where it is separated from the entoconid by a shallow, but distinct, valley.

Remarks. Tillomys? parvidens was originally assigned to Sciuravus by Marsh (1872), but Troxell (1923b) and Wilson (1938b) noted that the m2 of the holotype is more similar in occlusal morphology to those of T. senex than to those of Sciuravus and questionably referred it to Tillomys (see also Walton and Porter, 2008). The lower molars of Tillomys? parvidens are very similar to those of T. senex , but differ primarily by the following: 1) slightly smaller; 2) a tendency for a doubled mesoconid (two-cusped) that is less transversely elongate; and 3) a shorter hypolophid. Whether these differences rise to the level of specific separation is debatable, but the four lower molars from the TBM exhibit the putative diagnostic characters of T.? parvidens and are tentatively assigned to the species.

DMNH

Delaware Museum of Natural History

UCM

University of Colorado Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Sciuravidae

Genus

Tillomys

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