Berrulestes undefined-1

Hooker, Jerry J. & Russell, Donald E., 2012, Early Palaeogene Louisinidae (Macroscelidea, Mammalia), their relationships and north European diversity, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (4), pp. 856-936 : 883

BERRULESTES SP. 1 (FIG. 12I)

Material: LM 1 ( NHMUK.M84835), Châlons-sur-Vesle Formation , Châlons-sur-Vesle, Marne, France .

Description: This tooth is 2.39 mm long by 1.79 mm wide at the talonid. The main cusps are low like B. phelizoni , but the tooth is smaller, the size of B. pellouini . It is fairly worn, although the metaconid has largely escaped. The metaconid is convex mesially in lingual view, like other Berrulestes . The paraconid is very small and the protoconid is swollen lingually, both features of B. phelizoni . There is a precingulid that passes half way round the protoconid. The talonid is distinctly wider and longer than the trigonid like B. pellouini . The cristid obliqua joins the back of the trigonid close to the midline, and is thus more lingual than in most specimens of other species of Berrulestes . The cristid obliqua seems to dip mesially less steeply than in B. phelizoni or B. pellouini , but this is an illusion created by heavy wear on the hypoconid and entoconid.

Discussion

This tooth must represent a new species, which seems on the strength of one lower molar to have a closer relationship to B. phelizoni than to either of the other named species of Berrulestes . However, it would not be wise to name it on the basis of a single tooth.