Asioryctes: now closer to tenrecs in the LRT
Again obvious on hingsight.
Late Cretaceous Asioryctes (Fig 1) now nests basal to Indohyus (Fig 2) and Tenrec (Figs 1, 2) in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa, subset Fig 3).
Of course, these taxa remain basal to pakicetids through odontocetes.
Figure 1. Data for Asioryctes x2 compared to Tenrec and Hemicentetes, two extant tenrecs.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/asioryctes-tenrec588-1.jpg?w=124″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/asioryctes-tenrec588-1.jpg?w=424″ class=”size-full wp-image-92176″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/asioryctes-tenrec588-1.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Data for Asioryctes x2 compared to Tenrec and Hemicentetes, two extant tenrecs.” width=”584″ height=”1409″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/asioryctes-tenrec588-1.jpg?w=584&h=1409 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/asioryctes-tenrec588-1.jpg?w=62&h=150 62w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/asioryctes-tenrec588-1.jpg?w=124&h=300 124w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/asioryctes-tenrec588-1.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Data for Asioryctes x2 compared to Tenrec and Hemicentetes, two extant tenrecs.
Novacek et al 2023 reported,
“Here we report four new specimens of A. nemegtensis from the Djadokhta Formation and document its first co-occurrence with its sister taxon, Ukhaatherium nessovi. “
The LRT does not confirm that sister-taxon interrelationship.
Figure 1. Perameles, Macrotis, Asioryctes, Indohyus, Tenrec and Pakicetus compared, not to scale.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/perameles_leptictis_macrotis588.jpg?w=97″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/perameles_leptictis_macrotis588.jpg?w=330″ class=”size-full wp-image-92171″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/perameles_leptictis_macrotis588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Perameles, Macrotis, Asioryctes, Indohyus, Tenrec and Pakicetus compared, not to scale. ” width=”584″ height=”1811″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/perameles_leptictis_macrotis588.jpg?w=584&h=1811 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/perameles_leptictis_macrotis588.jpg?w=48&h=150 48w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/perameles_leptictis_macrotis588.jpg?w=97&h=300 97w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/perameles_leptictis_macrotis588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Perameles, Macrotis, Asioryctes, Indohyus, Tenrec and Pakicetus compared, not to scale.
The well-known fragility
of the mammal subset of the LRT had been confounding housekeeping for 349 days when this interrelationship of long-snouted taxa finally popped to the surface. This latest version also separates kangaroos (Macropus) from wombats (Vombatus) for the first time.
Still the work remains unfinished.
Figure 3. Subset of the LRT focusing on a placental clade 3 derived from the marsupials Perameles and Macrotis.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/placental3lrt588.jpg?w=82″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/placental3lrt588.jpg?w=279″ class=”size-full wp-image-92173″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/placental3lrt588.jpg” alt=”Figure 3. Subset of the LRT focusing on a placental clade 3 derived from the marsupials Perameles and Macrotis. ” width=”584″ height=”2140″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/placental3lrt588.jpg?w=584&h=2140 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/placental3lrt588.jpg?w=41&h=150 41w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/placental3lrt588.jpg?w=82&h=300 82w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/placental3lrt588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Subset of the LRT focusing on a placental clade 3 derived from the marsupials Perameles and Macrotis.
The 3x convergence of placental reproduction
revealed by the LRT was first proposed by Wortman 1902.
This appears to be a novel hypothesis of interrelationships.
If not, please provide a citation so I can promote it here.
References
Kielan-Jaworowska Z 1975. Preliminary description of two new eutherian genera from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. Palaeontologia Polonica 33:5-15.
Kielan-Jaworowska, Z 1984. Evolution of the therian mammals in the Late Cretaceous of Asia. Part VII. Synopsis. Palaeontologia Polonica 4:173-183. online pdf
Novacek MJ, Hoffman EA and O’leary MA 2023. First occurrence of the eutherian mammal Asioryctes nemegtensis from the Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia, and a revised alpha taxonomy based on the skull and dentition. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 342(4): https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2023.2196320
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