Palaeogale dorothiae MacDonald 1963
- Dataset
- First occurrences of Palaeogale von Meyer, 1846 in the Pacific Northwest, United States
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Chordata
- class
- Mammalia
- order
- Carnivora
- family
- Odobenidae
- genus
- Palaeogale
- species
- Palaeogale dorothiae
description
(Fig. 3; Table 2)
description
DESCRIPTION JODA 5893 has no posterior accessory cusp on p 4; however, there is a small enamel anomaly on the posterior edge. There is an alveolus for p 3. The p 2 crown is stretched forward with an upturned posterior heel. JODA 6177 is broken behind the c, and there is no p 2 alveoli. There is no p 4 accessory cusp. The m 1 protoconid is not expanded laterally. See Table 2 for measurements of both specimens.
diagnosis
SPECIES DIAGNOSIS. — The p 4 is without a posterior accessory cusp and the protoconid of the m 1 is not expanded laterally (MacDonald 1963).
discussion
COMPARISON Both specimens match the species diagnosis in the absence of the p 4 accessory cusp. They are both too large to be P. minuta. In JODA 5893, the morphology of the p 4 is similar to P. sectoria (Lange-Badre & Dashzeveg 1989; Wang & Zhang 2015). The size of JODA 6177 is comparable to P. sectoria from Mongolia but the protoconid of the m 1 is not expanded (Lange-Badre & Dashzeveg 1989; Wang & Zhang 2015). The type specimen is from the Sharps Formation of South Dakota which is 30 - 28.6 Ma (MacDonald 1963; McConnell & DiBenedetto 2012). Swisher (1982) states that this species is also known from the Brown Siltstone Beds or Whitney Member of the Brule Formation (c. 31 - 30 Ma) and the Unit B Member of the Gering Formation (28.26 - 28.11 Ma) both of Nebraska (Tedford et al. 1996, 2004). This makes the Lonerock specimens, which are between 25.3 and 23.8 Ma, the latest known occurrences of this species.
materials_examined
REFERRED SPECIMENS. — JODA 6177 left fragmentary dentary with p 4 - m 1. JODA 5893 right fragmentary dentary with p 2 and p 4. OCCURRENCE. — JDNM- 140, Lonerock, Gilliam County, Oregon, USA. Kimberly Member, John Day Formation. Precise locality information available to qualified researchers upon request.
Name
- Homonyms
- Palaeogale dorothiae MacDonald 1963