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Pappotherium Temporal range: 112.6–109 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Family:	†Pappotheriidae Slaughter, 1965
Genus:	†Pappotherium Slaughter, 1965
Species
P. pattersoni Slaughter, 1965
Synonyms
Slaughteria Butler, 1978

Pappotherium is an extinct genus of mammals from the Albian (early Cretaceous) of Texas, US, known from a fossilized maxilla fragment bearing two tribosphenic molars, discovered within the Glen Rose Formation near Decatur, Wise County, Texas.

The fossil was discovered by Bob H. Slaughter within some deposits dating back to 112.6 – 109 million years ago. On the basis of the morphology of the molars' cusps, in 1965 Slaughter established the new genus Pappotherium and the new species P. pattersoni; he also created an apposite family, Pappotheriidae. Both this family and the genus are nowadays still monotypic.

Slaughter argued that Pappotherium should have been a basal form close to the metatherian-eutherian divergence point; this mammal likely was an arboreal insectivore.

Etymologically speaking, the name Pappotherium is a compound of the Latin words pappus (from ancient Greek πάππος, páppos, “grandfather”) and therium (from ancient Greek θηρίον, thēríon, “beast”, a common suffix among extinct mammals), with the full meaning of “mammal-grandfather”.

The second part of the unique species' name, pattersoni, was instead chosen in honor of the American paleontologist Bryan Patterson.

More recently, it has been recovered as a possible deltatheroidean. The most recent phylogeny including Pappotherium is reproduced below.

References

1. ^ Pappotherium on Fossilworks.org
2. 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.
3. S. Bi, X. Jin, S. Li and T. Du. 2015. A new Cretaceous metatherian mammal from Henan, China. PeerJ 3:e896
4. ^ Wilson, G.P.; Ekdale, E.G.; Hoganson, J.W.; Calede, J.J.; Linden, A.V. (2016). "A large carnivorous mammal from the Late Cretaceous and the North American origin of marsupials". Nature Communications. 7: 13734. Bibcode:2016NatCo...713734W. doi:10.1038/ncomms13734. PMC 5155139. PMID 27929063.

Bibliography

• Slaughter, B. H. 1965, "A therian from the lower Cretaceous (Albian) of Texas", Postilla 93, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, pp. 1–18.
• Davis, B. M. & Cifelli, R. L. 2011, "Reappraisal of the tribosphenidan mammals from the Trinity Group (Aptian–Albian) of Texas and Oklahoma", Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 56 (3), pp. 441–62.

v t e Metatheria
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Synapsida see Synapsida Cynodontia see Cynodontia Mammalia see Mammalia Metatheria see below↓
Metatheria Metatheria †Adinodon †Archaeonothos †Esteslestes †Ghamidtherium †Holoclemensia? †Kasserinotherium †Protalphadon †Sinodelphys? †Deltatheroida Pappotherium? Deltatheridiidae Atokatheridium? Deltatheridium Deltatheroides Gurbanodelta Lotheridium Nanocuris Oklatheridium? Prodeltitheridium Sulestes Tsagandelta Marsupialiformes †Adelodelphys †Aenigmadelphys †Anchistodelphys †Andinodelphys †Arcantiodelphys †Camptomus? †Glasbius †Gurlin Tsav skull †Iugomortiferum †Jaskhadelphys †Mayulestes †Pucadelphys †Sinbadelphys †Sparassodonta see below↓ †Asiatheriidae Asiatherium Kokopellia †Archimetatheria Iqualadelphis Stagodontidae Didelphodon Eobrasilia? Eodelphis Fumodelphodon Hoodootherium Pariadens? Pediomyoidea Aquiladelphis Austropediomys Dakotadens Monodelphopsis Pediomys Protolambda Scalaridelphys Unnuakomys †Peradectidae Armintodelphys Didelphidectes Mimoperadectes Nanodelphys Peradectes Siamoperadectes †Alphadontidae Albertatherium Alphadon Eoalphadon Turgidodon †Herpetotheriidae Amphiperatherium Asiadidelphis Copedelphys Ectocentrocristus Entomacodon Galatiadelphys Golerdelphys Herpetotherium Indodelphis Maastrichtidelphys Morotodon? Nortedelphys Peratherium Rumiodon? Swaindelphys Thylacodon †Anatoliadelphyidae Anatoliadelphys Orhaniyeia †Polydolopimorphia see below↓ Marsupialia Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Australidelphia
Sparassodonta Sparassodonta Allqokirus Argyrolestes Hondadelphys Nemolestes Patene Procladosictis Stylocynus Hathliacynidae Acyon Australogale Borhyaenidium Chasicostylus Cladosictis Notictis Notocynus Notogale Perathereutes Pseudonotictis Sallacyon Sipalocyon Borhyaenoidea Angelocabrerus Chlorocyon Dukecynus Fredszalaya Lycopsis Pharsophorus Plesiofelis Prothylacinus Pseudolycopsis Pseudothylacynus Borhyaenidae Acrocyon Arctodictis Australohyaena Borhyaena Eutemnodus? Proborhyaenidae Arminiheringia Callistoe Paraborhyaena Proborhyaena Thylacosmilidae Anachlysictis Eomakhaira Patagosmilus Thylacosmilus
Polydolopimorphia Polydolopimorphia Apeirodon? Bobbschaefferia Caroloameghinia Carolocoutoia Guggenheimia Gashternia Hatcheritherium Palangania Procaroloameghinia Protodidelphis Pujatodon? Reigia Robertbutleria Wamradolops Zeusdelphys Bonapartheriiformes Bonapartheriidae Bonapartherium Epidolops Argyrolagidae Anargyrolagus Argyrolagus Hondalagus Microtragulus Proargyrolagus Chulpasiinae Chulpasia Thylacotinga Prepidolopidae Incadolops Perrodelphys Prepidolops Punadolops Seumandia Rosendolopidae Hondonadia Rosendolops Polydolopiformes Polydolopidae Amphidolops Antarctodolops Eudolops Eurydolops Hypodolops Kramadolops Parabderites Polydolops Pseudolops Sillustaniidae Roberthoffstetteria Sillustania

• Cretaceous mammals
• Cretaceous mammals of North America
• Monotypic prehistoric mammal genera
• Fossil taxa described in 1965
• Wise County, Texas
• Prehistoric metatherians
• Prehistoric mammal genera