Pachynolophus eulaliensis
(Pomel 1847, Danilo et al. 2013; Eocene; Fig. 1) is widely considered a horse relative. Here, in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2036+ taxa) it nests basal to the giant horses, Juxia (Fig. 2) + Paraceratherium with a transitional genus known since 1804, Palaeotherium (Fig. 3) between them.
![](https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/pachynolophus-skull588.jpg?w=588)
The size
of Pachynolophus is surprisingly small, about the size of a cat. The post-crania is surprisingly un-published — if even known. Citations anyone? We have a male and female skull, but no postcrania?
Danilo et al. 2013
consider Pachynolophus, “the oldest representative of the Palaeotheriidae, here including the controversial pachynolophs.”
![](https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/palaeotherium_recon2-588.jpg?w=526)
According to Wikipedia,
“First described by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1804, Palaeotherium was among the first Paleogene mammals to be described.“
“Palaeotherium possessed a skull with a vaguely similar shape to that of a horse, although the skull was much shorter with the orbits in a more anterior position. This is partly due to the greater development of the temporal muscles, which required longer temporal pits.”
“Georges Cuvier originally described Palaeotherium as a kind of tapir. Nasal bones are set back, there is no specialization of the nasal area for proboscis like that observed in tapirs.”
The nesting of paraceratheres with horses
continues to be heretical, but these two new taxa justify, validate and cement that earlier hypothesis of interrelationships.
The nesting of palaeotheres with paraceratheres
appears to be a novel hypothesis of interrelationships. If not, please provide a citation so I can promote it here.
References
Danilo L et al. 2013. A new Eocene locality in southern France sheds light on the basal radiation of Palaeotheriidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Equoidea), Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 33:1, 195-215.
Pomel A 1847. Notes sur les mammiferes et reptiles fossiles des terrains eocenes de Paris, inferieurs au depot gypseux.Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles de Gen`eve 4:326–330.