Carpolestes compares closely to Pseudocheirus
One is Late Paleocene. The other extant.
Carpolestes (Figs 2, 3) and Pseudeocheirus (Fig 1), the ringtail possum, now nest together in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2328 taxa).
So if you want to imagine what Carpolestes was like, look to Pseudocheirus.
Not sure why ‘ringtail’ was applied to Pseudocheirus. It does not have rings on its tail, like arboreal basal placentals do.
Figure 1. Pseudocheirus, the common ringtail possum in vivo and the skull in two views. Colors added here.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pseudocheirus_skull_invivo588.jpg?w=171″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pseudocheirus_skull_invivo588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-90738″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pseudocheirus_skull_invivo588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Pseudocheirus, the common ringtail possum in vivo and the skull in two views. Colors added here.” width=”584″ height=”1022″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pseudocheirus_skull_invivo588.jpg?w=584&h=1022 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pseudocheirus_skull_invivo588.jpg?w=86&h=150 86w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pseudocheirus_skull_invivo588.jpg?w=171&h=300 171w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/pseudocheirus_skull_invivo588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Pseudocheirus, the common ringtail possum in vivo and the skull in two views. Colors added here.
Pseudocheirus peregrinus
(Ogilby 1837; ) is the extant ringtail possum. They have grasping feet and hands (with two thumbs) and a prehensile tail, convergent with arboreal didelphids. Cat-sized Pseudocheirus feeds on leaves. Carpolestes is an extinct relative.
Figure 2. Carpolestes skull in several views. Colors added here. Compare to figure 1.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/carpolestes-simpsoni-skull-1.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/carpolestes-simpsoni-skull-1.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-90762″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/carpolestes-simpsoni-skull-1.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Carpolestes skull in several views. Colors added here. Compare to figure 1. ” width=”584″ height=”572″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/carpolestes-simpsoni-skull-1.jpg?w=584&h=572 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/carpolestes-simpsoni-skull-1.jpg?w=150&h=147 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/carpolestes-simpsoni-skull-1.jpg?w=300&h=294 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/carpolestes-simpsoni-skull-1.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Carpolestes skull in several views. Colors added here. Compare to figure 1.
Carpolestes nigridens
(Simpson 1928; late Paleocene, 58 mya; ~20cm in length) was traditionally considered an outgroup to the Primates, but here nests as a primate-like marsupial basal to the placental2 clade beginning with Daubentonia (the extant aye-aye), Multituberculata, Plesiadapiformes (including beavers and Sirenia) and Rodentia.
Like Notharctus, Carpolestes had a thumb-like pollex and hallux and was a long-limbed arboreal herbivore. Note the large last lower premolar, a precursor to the otherwise unique multituberculate tooth.
Figure 1. Carpolestes has a thumb-like hallux and polled (digit 1 on manus and pes). Those are primitive traits, not derived ones.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/carpolestes588.jpg?w=226″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/carpolestes588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-24354″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/carpolestes588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Carpolestes has a thumb-like hallux and polled (digit 1 on manus and pes). Those are primitive traits, not derived ones.” width=”584″ height=”774″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/carpolestes588.jpg?w=584&h=774 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/carpolestes588.jpg?w=113&h=150 113w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/carpolestes588.jpg?w=226&h=300 226w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/carpolestes588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Carpolestes has a thumb-like hallux and polled (digit 1 on manus and pes). Those are primitive traits, not derived ones.
This appears to be a novel hypothesis of interrelationships.
If not, please provide a citation so I can promote it here. I should have caught this one earlier. Again, obvious in hindsight.
References
Ogilby W 1837. Observations on the opposable power of the thumb in certain mammals, considered as a zoological character; and on the natural affinities which subsist between the Bimana, Quadrumana, and Pedimana. The Magazine of Natural History (Charlesworth) 1: 449-459.
Simpson G G 1928. A new mammalian fauna from the Fort Union of southern Montana. American Museum Novitates 297:1-15.
wiki/Pseudocheirus
wiki/Carpolestes
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/01/01/carpolestes-compares-closely-to-pseudocheirus/
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