Petaurus evolution in three directions
Short one today
as the graphics and the LRT tell this tale.
In the LRT
the sugar glider, Petaurus (Fig 1), turns out to be basal to a long list of taxa in three different clades that give rise to other clades. These include multituberculates, rodents, manatees (via beavers) all arising from these three basal lineages (Fig 1).
Figure 1. In the LRT the sugar glider, Petaurus, turns out to be basal to a long list of taxa, including multituberculates, rodents, manatees (via beavers) and these three basal lineages.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/petaurus-plesiadapis_skull588.gif?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/petaurus-plesiadapis_skull588.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-91104″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/petaurus-plesiadapis_skull588.gif” alt=”Figure 1. In the LRT the sugar glider, Petaurus, turns out to be basal to a long list of taxa, including multituberculates, rodents, manatees (via beavers) and these three basal lineages. ” width=”584″ height=”466″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/petaurus-plesiadapis_skull588.gif?w=584&h=466 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/petaurus-plesiadapis_skull588.gif?w=150&h=120 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/petaurus-plesiadapis_skull588.gif?w=300&h=239 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/petaurus-plesiadapis_skull588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Petaurus breviceps
(Waterhouse 1839; Early Miocene to present; up to 30cm) is the extant sugar glider, a nocturnal squirrel-like marsupial able to climb trees and glide with furry membranes between the fore and hind limbs. An opposable toe is present on each hind foot. Sharp claws tip every digit. This taxon is an omnivore basal to Thylacoleo, the marsupial lion and Apatemys.
A little earlier we looked at Wakaleo, another descendant of Petaurus and kin.
References
Waterhouse GR 1838. Observations on certain modifications observed in the dentition of the Flying Opossums (the genus Petaurus of authors). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 4: 149–153.
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/01/15/petaurus-evolution-in-three-directions/