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.
Adalatherium Temporal range: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
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Restoration of the skull in lateral view | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Clade: | †Gondwanatheria |
Family: | †Adalatheriidae Krause et al, 2020 |
Genus: | †Adalatherium Krause et al, 2020 |
Species: | †A. hui
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Binomial name | |
†Adalatherium hui Krause et al, 2020
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Although known fossil is estimated to be subadult individual, it had large skull reaching length 8.4 centimetres (3.3 in), body length about 52 centimetres (20 in)[2] and body mass is estimated between 1.775–5.218 kilograms (3.91–11.50 lb), making it one the largest known Mesozoic mammals only exceeded by fellow Malagasy gondwanathere Vintana, Repenomamus and Patagomaia.[1] 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]