Indodelphis
Genus of mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Indodelphis is an extinct genus of opossum-like metatherian from Eocene of Cambay Shale Formation of India. The type and the only species is Indodelphis luoi.[1]
Bajpai, Kapur, Thewissen, Tiwari & Das, 2005
| Indodelphis Temporal range: Eocene, | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Family: | †Herpetotheriidae |
| Genus: | †Indodelphis Bajpai, Kapur, Thewissen, Tiwari & Das, 2005 |
| Species: | †I. luoi |
| Binomial name | |
| †Indodelphis luoi | |
Indodelphis is the only known metatherian from Insular India (another, Jaegeria, has had its metatherian status questioned). It is known from the well-preserved lower molars of two individuals. This species probably represents the oldest known record of Cenozoic metatherians from Asia, and it occurs in association with a diverse land mammal fauna comprising perissodactyls, artiodactyls, insectivores, laurasiatherians, apatotherians, bats, rodents, and several other taxa currently under study.[1]
It was initially assigned to the Peradectidae,[1] but more likely belongs to the Herpetotheriidae. It may possibly be a junior synonym of Asiadidelphis from the Paleogene of Pakistan and Kazakhstan, which is known only from upper molars.[2] It is unknown whether Indodelphis descended from a metatherian that colonized Insular India from Asia, or if it was a relict of India's original Gondwanan mammalian fauna.[3]
