A deep time genomic fail at the AMNH

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)
in New York City (NYC) is a frequent contributor to FaceBook (FB).

Unfortunately,
this time (Fig 1) the AMNH goes too far as it reports this hedgehog  (genus: Echinops) is not a hedgehog – but more closely related to elephants and manatees.

Double unfortunately,
the AMNH is just following current university textbooks that puts more stock in genomics (deep time genes) than phenomics (traits).

It’s Afrotheria again, a clade so accepted that it has it’s own Wikipedia page. Afrotheria links golden moles, elephants, manatees and lesser Madagascar hedgehog tenrecs (Riedelsheimer 2007).

By contrast
the large reptile tree (LRT, 2336 taxa) tests traits – and fossils – and breaks that link.

Academic paleontologists
have produced this myth, along with too many other myths exposed here at PterosaurHeresies.  Academc paleontologists have not challenged this obvious myth, but embraced it. The answer seems to be here.

Deep time genes (probably affected by continental viruses)
link Echinops with elephants and manatees.

When you stop laughing, please continue reading…

Measured traits and proportions
link Echinops (Fig 1) with other hedgehogs in the LRT.

The myth is the result of deep time genomic testing.
According to Riedelsheimer 2007, “The lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi) belongs to the family Tenrecidae, actually grouped within the superorder Afrotheria (Nishihara et al., 2005;”

This is one more time where deep time genomics fail.
And so does the AMNH for posting this myth. Trait analysis nests Echinops with other hedgehogs and far from tenrecs and elephants. Trait cladogram here: http://reptileevolution.com/reptile-tree.htm

AND manatees are giant sea beavers related to Castoroides, the giant beaver.

Echinops telfairi
(Martin 1838; extant, 13-17 cm) the lesser or pygmy hedgehog tenrec is widely considered a tenrec, but here it nests with hedgehogs and other Glires including rodents. This omnivore is restricted to Madagascar, home of several tenrecs. Apparently, like tenrecs, it has a cloaca, not a separate vagina/anus. Note the large canines, like tenrecs and unlike hedgehogs. Unlike tenrecs, the ears are prominent. Like tenrecs, the jugal is absent. These are due to convergence.

Final word:
I can’t be the only paleontologist who rallies against using genomics (which does not and cannot test fossil taxa). Step up and be counted if you agree that genomics provides no useful data for deep time taxonomics, systematics and paleontology.

References
Martin WCL 1838.On a new genus of insectivorous mammalia. Proceedings of the Zoological Socieety, London, 6:17.
Riedelsheimer B, Unterberger P, Künzle H and Welsch 2007. Histological study of the cloacal region and associated structures in the hedgehog tenrec Echinops telfairi. Mammalian Biology 72:330–341.

wiki/Lesser_hedgehog_tenrec
wiki/Afrosoricida
wiki/Afrotheria

Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/03/16/a-deep-time-genomic-fail-at-the-amnh/