Eomanis

Eomanis
Temporal range: 47.8–46.3 Ma
↓
 Middle Eocene
Fossil of Eomanis waldi
Life reconstruction of
Eomanis waldi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pholidota
Suborder: Eupholidota
Superfamily: †Eomanoidea
Gaudin, 2009[3]
Family: †Eomanidae
Storch, 2003[2]
Genus: †Eomanis
Storch, 1978[1]
Type species
†Eomanis waldi
Storch, 1978

Eomanis ("dawn pangolin") is the earliest known true (and scaled) pangolin from extinct family Eomanidae (and extinct superfamily Eomanoidea) within suborder Eupholidota. It lived during the Eocene in Europe.[4] Eomanis fossils found in the Messel Pit in Germany are very similar in size and anatomy to living pangolins of the genus Manis, indicating that pangolins have remained largely unchanged in morphology and behavior for 50 million years. However, unlike modern pangolins, its tail and legs did not bear scales.[citation needed] According to the stomach contents of the excellently preserved Messel specimens, Eomanis’ diet consisted of both insects and plants.

Another early mammal discovered in the Messel Pit that was similar in anatomy and likely also had an insectivorous diet was Eurotamandua.[5] Despite its name, Eurotamandua was almost certainly not a xenarthran because it lacked the characteristic xenarthran joints present in all living and extinct xenarthrans. In addition, xenarthrans existed exclusively in South America for almost the entire Cenozoic era. They spread to North America after the Panama land bridge formed 3 million years ago, but never reached Eurasia or Africa. Eurotamandua was likely also an early pangolin, possibly the ancestor of Eomanis.

  1. ^ Gerhard Storch (1978) "Eomanis waldi, a pangolin from the Middle Eocene of the "Pit Messel" near Darmstadt (Mammalia: Pholidota)." Senckenbergiana lethaea 59 (4/6), pp. 503-529
  2. ^ Gerhard Storch (2003) "Fossil Old World "edentates" (Mammalia)." Senckenbergiana biologica 83 (1), pp. 51-60
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference web2.utc.edu was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cox, Barry; Savage, R. J. G.; Gardiner, Brian; Dixon, Dougal (1988). "Insectivores and creodonts". Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. Macmillan London Limited. p. 213. ISBN 0-333-48699-4.
  5. ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 209. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.