Talpa, the European mole: now a Vulpavus descendant in the LRT
After reexamination
and analysis in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2337 taxa) Talpa, the European mole, now nests with the basal placental 1 taxon, Vulpavus profectus (Fig 1).
Figure 1. Two Vulpavus specimens to scale with Talpa (below)
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus_skull_ovatus_diagram588.jpg?w=223″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus_skull_ovatus_diagram588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-94412″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus_skull_ovatus_diagram588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Two Vulpavus specimens to scale with Talpa (below) ” width=”584″ height=”787″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus_skull_ovatus_diagram588.jpg?w=584&h=787 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus_skull_ovatus_diagram588.jpg?w=111&h=150 111w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus_skull_ovatus_diagram588.jpg?w=223&h=300 223w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus_skull_ovatus_diagram588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Two Vulpavus specimens to scale with Talpa (below)
Once again
the process of phylogenetic miniaturization produced a smaller clade with a new morphology and niche. In Talpa the cranial crests are gone, as in juvenile mammals generally. Nevertheless the adult teeth are similar in number and shape.
Figure 2. Revised Talpa skull with large postfrontals (orange). Note the dental matches to Vulpavus profectus in figure 1.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/talpa_europaea-skull3views588.jpg?w=194″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/talpa_europaea-skull3views588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-94415″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/talpa_europaea-skull3views588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Revised Talpa skull with large postfrontals (orange). Note the dental matches to Vulpavus profectus in figure 1. ” width=”584″ height=”904″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/talpa_europaea-skull3views588.jpg?w=584&h=904 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/talpa_europaea-skull3views588.jpg?w=97&h=150 97w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/talpa_europaea-skull3views588.jpg?w=194&h=300 194w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/talpa_europaea-skull3views588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Revised Talpa skull with large postfrontals (orange). Note the dental matches to Vulpavus profectus in figure 1. Four premolars + three molars. Note the flat otic bulla with the addition of a lateral tube.
The big surprise
was the identification of large postfrontal (orange) on the smaller skull of Talpa (Fig 2), distinct from an earlier interpretation (Fig 3) now updated.
Figure 2. Talpa the Eastern mole nests in the LRT with Herpestes the mongoose.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/talpa588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/talpa588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-24364″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/talpa588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Talpa the Eastern mole nests in the LRT with Herpestes the mongoose.” width=”584″ height=”522″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/talpa588.jpg?w=584&h=522 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/talpa588.jpg?w=150&h=134 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/talpa588.jpg?w=300&h=268 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/talpa588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Talpa the Eastern mole nests in the LRT with Herpestes the mongoose.
The large number of teeth,
the primitive number and shape of digits and the general shape of the skull and torso were scored in the LRT to recover this novel hypothesis of interrelationships.
This hypothetical interrelationship
remained overlooked here until today. Apologies for the wait. While this discovery was made possible by including both taxa in the same cladogram, it still took that moment of insight to overcome the human filter. that kept them apart in the LRT until now.
Now let’s look for some transitional taxa.
Figure 4. Vulpavus skeleletal mount from the AMNH.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-94421″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg” alt=”Figure 4. Vulpavus skeleletal mount from the AMNH.” width=”584″ height=”197″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=584&h=197 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=1168&h=394 1168w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=150&h=51 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=300&h=101 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=768&h=259 768w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/vulpavus-amnhcleanedup72.jpg?w=1024&h=345 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 4. Vulpavus skeleletal mount from the AMNH. Note the broad manus and pes, similar to Talpa infibgure 3.
The primitive nesting of Talpa
indicates a Mesozoic origin for the placental mole lineage. Underground moles would have kept out-of-sight from roving little terrestrial theropods active during daylight.
Vulpavus had a long, slinky, weasel-like morphology.
“With long, slender bodies, short legs and flattish pointed heads, long-tailed weasels are adapted to burrowing underground to catch prey or create homes.”
That makes the transition
to the more permanent underground habitat of Talpa a relatively easy step to make.
References
wiki/Vulpavus
wiki/Carnivoramorpha
wiki/Talpa_(mammal)
wiki/Talpidae
wiki/Eulipotyphla
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/09/10/talpa-the-european-mole-now-a-vulpavus-descendant-in-the-lrt/
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