View source for Pucadelphys

{{Short description|Extinct genus of mammals}}
{{speciesbox
| fossil_range = [[Paleocene|Early Paleocene]] ([[Tiupampan]])<br />~{{fossil range|66|61.7}}
| image = Pucadelphys fossils.jpg
| image_caption = Fossils from Bolivia
| genus = Pucadelphys
| parent_authority = Marshall & De Muizon, 1988
| species = andinus
| authority = Marshall & De Muizon, 1988
}}

'''''Pucadelphys''''' is an extinct [[genus]] of non-[[marsupial]] [[metatheria]]n.<ref>Guillermo W. Rougier, John R. Wible and Michael J. Novacek. First Implications of ''Deltatheridium'' specimens for early marsupial history, ''Nature'' 396, 459-463(3 December 1998)</ref><ref>S. Bi, X. Jin, S. Li and T. Du. 2015. A new Cretaceous metatherian mammal from Henan, China. PeerJ 3:e896</ref><ref>Guillermo Rougier, New specimen of Deltatheroides cretacicus (Metatheria, Deltatheroida) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia, BULLETIN OF CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 36(DEC 2004):245-266 · SEPTEMBER 2009</ref><ref>Guillermo W. Rougier; Brian M. Davis; Michael J. Novacek (2015). "A deltatheroidan mammal from the Upper Cretaceous Baynshiree Formation, eastern Mongolia". Cretaceous Research. 52, Part A: 167–177. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.09.009.</ref> The genus contains a single species, '''''P. andinus'''''. Fossils of ''Pucadelphys'' have been found in the [[Santa Lucía Formation]] in [[Tiupampa]] in [[Bolivia]].<ref name=FWPucadelphys>[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=246332 ''Pucadelphys''] at [[Fossilworks]].org</ref>

== Description ==
''Pucadelphys'' was small and likely to have eaten insects. It had a long tail, although incomplete on the best preserved fossils. It is possible that the tail was longer than (or at least as long as) its body. 17 vertebrae were preserved, and its estimated that there was 5 to 10 additional vertebrae originally. It is regarded as partially arboreal, and partially terrestrial. It may have been social, as more than 30 specimens have been found together.<ref>{{cite episode|title=How South America Made the Marsupials|series=PBS Eons|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5doyrUWFbE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/l5doyrUWFbE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
A 2016 phylogenetic analysis recovered ''Pucadelphys'' as a member of a metatherian clade including [[sparassodonts]] and other South American taxa, but not [[marsupials]] (which are instead closer to [[Cretaceous]] North American species). The phylogenetic tree from the analysis is shown below.<ref name="wilson2016">{{cite journal | title = A large carnivorous mammal from the Late Cretaceous and the North American origin of marsupials | journal = Nature Communications | volume = 7 | pages = 13734 | date = 2016 | first1 = G.P. | last1 = Wilson | first2 = E.G. | last2 = Ekdale | first3 = J.W. | last3 = Hoganson | first4 = J.J. | last4 = Calede | first5 = A.V.| last5 = Linden | doi = 10.1038/ncomms13734 | pmid = 27929063 | pmc = 5155139 | bibcode = 2016NatCo...713734W }}</ref>

{{clade| style=font-size:85%; line-height:85%
|label1=[[Metatheria|Marsupialiformes]]
|1={{clade
      |1={{clade
         |1=[[Gurlin Tsav skull]]
         |2={{clade
            |1=[[Borhyaenidae]]
            |2={{clade
               |1=''[[Mayulestes]]''
               |2={{clade
                  |1=''[[Jaskhadelphys]]''
                  |2={{clade
                     |1=''[[Andinodelphys]]''
                     |2='''''Pucadelphys'''''}}}}}}}}}}
      |2={{clade
         |1=''[[Asiatherium]]''
         |2={{clade
            |label5=[[Stagodontidae]]
            |label6=[[Alphadontidae]]
            |1={{clade
               |1=''[[Iugomortiferum]]''
               |2=''[[Kokopellia]]''}}
            |2=''[[Aenigmadelphys]]''
            |3=''[[Anchistodelphys]]''
            |4={{clade
               |label1=[[Glasbiidae]]
               |label2=[[Pediomyidae]]
               |1=''[[Glasbius]]''
               |2=''[[Pediomys]]''}}
            |5={{clade
               |1=''[[Pariadens]]''
               |2={{clade
                  |1=''[[Eodelphis]]''
                  |2=''[[Didelphodon]]''}}}}
            |6={{clade
               |1=''[[Turgidodon]]''
               |2=''[[Alphadon]]''
               |3=''[[Albertatherium]]''}}
            |7=[[Marsupial]]ia}}}}}}}}

== References ==
{{Portal|Bolivia|Paleontology|Paleontology|Prehistoric mammals}}
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989–2005. [http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/ Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125235953/http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/ |date=2011-01-25 }}. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, Holanda.
* McKenna, M.C., y Bell, S.K. (1997), Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level., Columbia University Press, New York. 0-231-11013-8. 
* Suárez Soruco, R. (2007) ''Bolivia y su Paleodiversidad'' Cuadernos del Museo Geominero, nº 8. Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Madrid. {{ISBN|978-84-7840-707-1}}

{{Metatheria|M.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3286310}}

[[Category:Prehistoric metatherians]]
[[Category:Paleocene mammals of South America]]
[[Category:Paleocene Bolivia]]
[[Category:Fossils of Bolivia]]
[[Category:Santa Lucía Formation]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1988]]
[[Category:Monotypic prehistoric mammal genera]]


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