Adalatherium Explained

Adalatherium (Adàla, 'crazy' in Malagasy and therium, 'beast' in Greek) is an extinct gondwanatherian that lived on Madagascar during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous.^[1] The discovery of the first nearly-complete Adalatherium skeleton from the Maevarano Formation was announced in April 2020.

Description

Although known fossil is estimated to be subadult individual, it had large skull reaching length 8.4cm (03.3inches), body length about 52cm (20inches)^[2] and body mass is estimated between NaNkg (-2,147,483,648lb), making it one the largest known Mesozoic mammals only exceeded by fellow Malagasy gondwanathere Vintana, Repenomamus and Patagomaia. It is depicted in reconstructions as being built somewhat like a badger. Its skeleton is the most complete of any Southern Hemisphere Mesozoic mammal. Additionally, the front of the skull contains more foramina than any known mammal except Vincelestes.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Krause . David W. . Hoffmann . Simone . Hu . Yaoming . Wible . John R. . Rougier . Guillermo W. . Kirk . E. Christopher . Groenke . Joseph R. . Rogers . Raymond R. . Rossie . James B. . Schultz . Julia A. . Evans . Alistair R. . 2020-04-29 . Skeleton of a Cretaceous mammal from Madagascar reflects long-term insularity . Nature . 581 . 7809 . 1476-4687 . 10.1038/s41586-020-2234-8 . 421–427 . 32461642 . 216650606 .
2. Web site: Madagascar's prehistoric 'crazy beast' sheds light on mammalian evolution . 2023-05-23 . India Today . en.
3. Krause . David W. . Hoffmann . Simone . Rossie . James B. . Hu . Yaoming . Wible . John R. . Rougier . Guillermo W. . Kirk . E. Christopher . Groenke . Joseph R. . 2020-12-14 . Craniofacial morphology of Adalatherium hui (Mammalia, Gondwanatheria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . en . 40 . sup1 . 19–66 . 10.1080/02724634.2020.1808665 . 230968119 . 0272-4634.