Gracilinanus agilis enters the LRT basal to Placentalia 1
Yesterday comparisons were made
between the tiny pouchless marsupial, Marmosops, and the large placental Nasua, the coatimundi (Fig 1). Despite similarities, the two did not nest together in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa). There were other issues as well.
Those issues and their corrections will be explained in later posts.
Figure 2. Marmosops and Nasua in vivo.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/marmosopson-branch588-1.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/marmosopson-branch588-1.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-92697″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/marmosopson-branch588-1.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Marmosops and Nasua in vivo.” width=”584″ height=”515″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/marmosopson-branch588-1.jpg?w=584&h=515 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/marmosopson-branch588-1.jpg?w=150&h=132 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/marmosopson-branch588-1.jpg?w=300&h=265 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/marmosopson-branch588-1.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Marmosops and Nasua in vivo.
Today the gracile mouse opossum, Graciliananus agilis enters the LRT
and resolves yesterday’s phylogenetic issues (Fig 1).
Figure 1. Skull of Gracilinanus agilis and an in vivo photo.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus-agilis.skull3views588.jpg?w=145″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus-agilis.skull3views588.jpg?w=495″ class=”size-full wp-image-92705″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus-agilis.skull3views588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Skull of Gracilinanus agilis and an in vivo photo.” width=”584″ height=”1208″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus-agilis.skull3views588.jpg?w=584&h=1208 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus-agilis.skull3views588.jpg?w=73&h=150 73w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus-agilis.skull3views588.jpg?w=145&h=300 145w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus-agilis.skull3views588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Skull of Gracilinanus agilis and an in vivo photo.
Gracilinanus agilis
(Gardner and Creighton 1989) This South American gracile mouse opossum nests at the base of the Placentalia 1 clade, so is basal to humans. It was separated from the genus Marmosa in 1989. Diet that includes insects, spiders, fruits, termites, beetles and ants, A litter size of up to 15, but usually 7. Females lack a pouch. The young are only attached to the nipples for a short time period and are left in their nests early on in their life.
As this example illustrates: add taxa and correct trait scores to resolve phylogenetic issues to more closely model actual evolutionary events. Adding more characters does nothing. You need pertinent transitional taxa. Look for them.
Figure 3. Revision to the LRT focusing on the basal marsupials that gave rise to Placentalia 1 taxa.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus.lrt588.jpg?w=173″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus.lrt588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-92711″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus.lrt588.jpg” alt=”Figure 3. Revision to the LRT focusing on the basal marsupials that gave rise to Placentalia 1 taxa. ” width=”584″ height=”1012″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus.lrt588.jpg?w=584&h=1012 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus.lrt588.jpg?w=87&h=150 87w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus.lrt588.jpg?w=173&h=300 173w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/gracilinanus.lrt588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Revision to the LRT focusing on the basal marsupials that gave rise to Placentalia 1 taxa.
Keep an eye on
the smaller, less exiting taxa that don’t usually enter analysis. This is where the phylogenetically miniaturized transitional taxa are found in many chordate clades.
References
Gardner AL and Creighton GK 1989. A new generic name for Tate’s microtarsus group of South American mouse opossums (Marsupialia: Didelphidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 102:3–7.
wiki/Nasua
wiki/Ambolestes
wiki/Gracilinanus
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/05/05/gracilinanus-agilis-enters-the-lrt-basal-to-placentalia-1/
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