How to read the list

The list is arranged in paragraphs for each valid genus. Each paragraph is built in the following way:

• Valid genus
• Synomymous genera, marked with the symbol =
• Valid species 1
• Synonymous species, marked with the symbol =
• Valid species 2 ...

The authorship is provided for most genera and species. The symbol ?= indicates a questionable synonymy. The questionable synonym appears once more in the list, just as a valid taxon, with a comment in brackets. The type species of a genus is marked with the symbol *. Example:

Ptilodus Cope 1881
= Chirox Cope 1884
P. mediaevus Cope 1881 *
P. montanus Douglass 1908
= P. gracilis Gidley 1909
?= P. wyomingensis Jepsen 1940
P. wyomingensis Jepsen 1940 (questionable synonym of P. montanus Douglass 1908)

( Chirox is a synonym of Ptilodus. P. mediaevus is the type species of Ptilodus. P. gracilis is a synonym of P. montanus. P. wyomingensis may be a synonym of P. montanus.)

A genus or species can be followed by alternative names in brackets [ ... ]. This are mainly combinations of species with different genera. The abbreviation "orig." indicates the original name under which the species was described. Example:

Baiotomeus Krause 1987
B. douglassi (type loc. Simpson 1935) * [orig. Ptilodus? douglassi, Mimetodon douglassi, Neoplagiaulax douglassi]

(The species douglassi was originally described as Ptilodus? douglassi. It was reassigned to the genera Mimetodon and Neoplagiaulax. It is now considered a species of Baiotomeus. Note that question marks are always placed behind the name to which they refer.)

Alternative names can also be names that were corrected later due to formal reasons (e.g. gramatically wrong ending of a species name), or they can represent incorrect usage of names in the literature (e.g. misprints). Such incorrect names are preceded by the word "incorrectly". Example:

Bemalambda Chow, Chang, Wang & Ting 1973
B. nanhsiungensis Chow, Chang, Wang & Ting 1973 [incorrectly B. nanshiungensis]

(The species was described as B. nanhsiungensis, but the wrong species name nanshiungensis appears in the scientific literature.)

After all names applied to a species, its type locality is given (preceded by the abbreviation "type loc."). Other occurrences besides the type locality may be given (preceded by the word "also"), especially if the type locality is not Paleocene in age. Type locality and other occurrences are given as a combination of geological age and geographical location. For Europe, North America and South America the system of Land Mammal Ages is used if possible.

(The type locality of P. walbeckensis is Walbeck in Germany. This locality belongs to the Thanetian age (Late Paleocene) of the standard marine timescale. The type locality of P. rex is in the Crazy Mountain Basin in the U.S. state of Montana. Within the system of North American Land Mammal Ages, it belongs to the Tiffanian (Late Paleocene).)

Normally only genera and species known from the Paleocene are listed. Species not known from the Paleocene are preceded by the text "Earlier species:" or "Later species:" (e.g. Eocene type species of genera that occur in the Paleocene). If a genus is only identified informally from the Paleocene, then this identification is listed with its occurrence. Example:

(The type species T. wortmani is only known after the Paleocene; its type locality is from the early Eocene (Casamayoran) of Argentina. An unidentified species of Trigonostylops is known from the Late Paleocene (Riochican) locality of Bajo de la Palangana in Argentina.)

Doubts about the occurrence of a genus or species in the Paleocene are indicated by the words "Occurrence untertain:". Example:

(The occurrence of the genus Cimolodon in the Paleocene is doubtful. The type locality of C. nitidus is from the Late Cretaceous (Lancian) of Wyoming. Specimens found in Early Paleocene (Puercan) sediments may be contaminations introduced by the erosion of older sediments.)

At the end of each line additional comments can be included in brackets ( ... ). Example:

(The assignment of the genus Xanclomys to the family where it is listed is uncertain.)

Back