Kopidodon: arboreal? ancestor to Phenacodus and elephants in the LRT
This might be interesting…
In the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa) traits shared by coatimundi-like Messel Pit (Eocene) Kopidodon and Paleocene Phenacodus came to together (Figs 1–3) recently.
Figure 1. Kopidodon, Phenacodus, Ectocion and Palaeomastodon shown to scale and in phylogenetic order.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/phenacodus.kopidodon_skeletons588.jpg?w=203″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/phenacodus.kopidodon_skeletons588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-92312″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/phenacodus.kopidodon_skeletons588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Kopidodon, Phenacodus, Ectocion and Palaeomastodon shown to scale and in phylogenetic order. ” width=”584″ height=”861″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/phenacodus.kopidodon_skeletons588.jpg?w=584&h=861 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/phenacodus.kopidodon_skeletons588.jpg?w=102&h=150 102w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/phenacodus.kopidodon_skeletons588.jpg?w=203&h=300 203w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/phenacodus.kopidodon_skeletons588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Kopidodon, Phenacodus, Ectocion and Palaeomastodon shown to scale and in phylogenetic order.
Phenacodus nested basal to elephants
earlier here. Phylogenetically miniaturized Ectocion ralstonensis (Figs 1, 2) nested basal to elephants here.
Figure 2. The skulls of Alcidedorbignya, Kopidodon, Phenacodus, Ectocion shown to scale. Palaeomastodon not to scale.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.phenacodus_skull588-1.jpg?w=136″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.phenacodus_skull588-1.jpg?w=465″ class=”size-full wp-image-92375″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.phenacodus_skull588-1.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. The skulls of Alcidedorbignya, Kopidodon, Phenacodus, Ectocion shown to scale. Palaeomastodon not to scale.” width=”584″ height=”1287″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.phenacodus_skull588-1.jpg?w=584&h=1287 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.phenacodus_skull588-1.jpg?w=68&h=150 68w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.phenacodus_skull588-1.jpg?w=136&h=300 136w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.phenacodus_skull588-1.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. The skulls of Alcidedorbignya, Kopidodon, Phenacodus, Ectocion shown to scale. Palaeomastodon not to scale.
Comparisons to early Palaeocene Alcidedorbignya
(Muizon et al 2015, Figs 1, 3) were also interesting based on skull shape and the presence of early hooves. Those authors made no mention of Kopidodon.
Figure 3. Manus and pes of Kopidodon compared to those of Alcidedorbignya. Not to scale. Central Kopidodon unguals appear to be flattened = hoof-like, as in Alcidedorbignya and Phenacodus (Fig 1).
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.manus_.pes588-2.jpg?w=188″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.manus_.pes588-2.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-92461″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.manus_.pes588-2.jpg” alt=”Figure 3. Manus and pes of Kopidodon compared to those of Alcidedorbignya. Not to scale. Central Kopidodon unguals appear to be flattened = hoof-like, as in Alcidedorbignya and Phenacodus (Fig 1).” width=”584″ height=”930″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.manus_.pes588-2.jpg?w=584&h=930 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.manus_.pes588-2.jpg?w=94&h=150 94w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.manus_.pes588-2.jpg?w=188&h=300 188w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/kopidodon.manus_.pes588-2.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Manus and pes of Kopidodon compared to those of Alcidedorbignya. Not to scale. Central Kopidodon unguals appear to be flattened = hoof-like, as in Alcidedorbignya and Phenacodus (Fig 1).
Kopidodon macrognathus
(originally Cryptopithecus macrognathus Wittich 1902; Weitzel 1933/4; Tobien 1969; Naturmuseum Senckenberg; 115cm total length; middle Eocene, 47 mya) is traditionally considered, “a squirrel-like mammal with large canines.” The Messel fossil (Fig 1) shows it had long hair and a bushy tail. The feet were said to be plantigrade (but see below). The limbs were heavily muscled and designed for slow movement. The tail vertebrae diminished posteriorly to tiny elongate bones. Stomach contents include fruit and seeds.
Figure 1. Phenacodus (above and in yellow) conmpared to Elephas (below).
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=174″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-90289″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Phenacodus (above and in yellow) conmpared to Elephas (below).” width=”584″ height=”1006″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=584&h=1006 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=87&h=150 87w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg?w=174&h=300 174w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/phenacodus.diagram588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 4. Phenacodus (above and in yellow) conmpared to Elephas (below).
According to Wikipedia – Kopidodon:
“Kopidodon is a now-extinct genus belonging to the Pantolesta, a group of early, insectivorous representatives of higher mammals. It lived in the Middle Eocene around 47 million years ago and is so far known only from the Messel Pit near Darmstadt. Based on its skeletal structure, it can be concluded that it partly climbed trees; the structure of its teeth and the additional stomach remains found indicate a plant-based diet. Kopidodon was first described in 1933, but its taxonomic status was long controversial.”
In the LRT Kopidodon is a basal placental 1 taxon close to Nasua, the coatimundi, a basal carnivore, and Notharctus, a basal primate.
“In lateral view, the skull had a distinctly rounded profile, which is also evident in the frontal and nasal bones. The rostrum was not elongated, but rather short and narrow. A sometimes strong parietal crest was formed at the contact surfaces of the parietal bones.
“The terminal phalanges had a slightly curved and pointed shape and were extremely tall and narrow.”
There seems to have been a variety in the ungual shape (Fig 3). The middle one looks round. IF so we’re seeing an early phase in the transition from claws to hooves that is further evolved in Alcidedorbignya.
“They resemble modern-day tree squirrels and, together with their agile fingers and toes, indicate a tree-climbing (arboreral) lifestyle. However, the shorter hind legs of Kopidodon compared to tree squirrels indicate less developed agility. On the ground, Kopidodon moved in a plantigrade manner due to the structure of its fore and hind feet.”
By contrast, the PILs (parallel interphalangeal lines, Fig 3) in the manus of Kopidodon indicate a lack of flexibility at the metacarpophalangeal joints as in digitigrade animals. Phenacodus and elephants are digitigrade.
deMuizon et al 2015 described Alcidedorbignya
(Fig 2) but did not mention Kopidodon, a relative in the LRT with a similar convex skull profile.
If not, please provide a citation so I can promote it here.
References
Clemens WA and von Koenigswald W 1993. A new skeleton of Kopidodon macrognathus from the Middle Eocene of Messel and the relationship of paroxyclaenids and pantolestids based on postcranial evidence. Kaupia 3, 1993, S. 57–73.
deMuizon C, Billet G, Argot C, Ladeveze S and Goussard F 2015. Alcidedorbignya inopinata, a basal pantodont (Placentalia, Mammalia) from the early Palaeocene
of Bolivia: anatomy, phylogeny and palaeobiology. Geodiversitas 87(4):397-634.
Tobien H 1969. Kopidodon (Condylarthra, Mammalia) aus dem Mitteleozän (Lutetium) von Messel bei Darmstadt (Hessen). Notizblätter der hessischen Landesanstalt für Bodenforschung 97, 1969, S. 7–37.
Weitzel K 1933. Kopidodon macrognathus Wittich, ein Raubtier aus dem Mitteleozän von Messel. Notizblätter des Vereins für Erdkunde der hessischen geologischen Landesanstalt Darmstadt 14, 1933, S. 81–88.
Wittich E 1898 1902. ein Raubtier aus dem Mitteleozän von Messel. Notizblatt des Vereins für. Erdkunde zu Darmstadt (5)14: 81-88.
Zimmerman EAWv 1780. Geographische Geschichte der Menschen, und der algemein verbreiteten Vierfüssigen Thiere. Zweiter Band. Leipzig: Wenganschen Buchhandlung 2:6.
wiki/Water_opossum_Chironectes
wiki/Kopidodon
Germanwiki/Kopidodon
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/04/18/kopidodon-arboreal-ancestor-to-phenacodus-and-elephants-in-the-lrt/
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