Quercygale ("weasel from Quercy") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from the clade Carnivoraformes, that lived in Europe during the early to late Eocene.
Relation to other taxa Currently, Quercygale is either assigned to no family (i. e. it is just classified as one of the basal genera of Carnivoraformes) or it is assigned to the paraphyletic family Miacidae.Solé, F. et al. Dental and Tarsal Anatomy of 'Miacis' latouri and a Phylogenetic Analysis of the Earliest Carnivoraforms (Mammalia, Carnivoramorpha). Journal of Vert. Paleontology. 34 (1), Jan 2014: 1-21. Phylogenetic analysis of the basicranial morphology of carnivoramorphans suggests that Quercygale is the most advanced member of the clade Carnivoraformes as a sister taxon to crown-clade Carnivora, predating the split between Feliformia and Caniformia. Another recent study, however, has proposed that the genus Quercygale should be placed as a stem group within Feliformia.
In the past (till about 2010), Quercygale was assigned either to the family Miacidae (which was considered monophyletic in the past), or to the family Viverravidae. Only one author (Kretzoi 1945) classified it as the only genus of its own family Quercygalidae (Quercygalidae, however, was considered another name for the family Miacidae by another author). Alternatively, individual authors considered Quercygale to be a basal genus of Caniformia or a synonym of the genus Tapocyon.FLYNN, J. J., GALIANO, H. Phylogeny of early Tertiary Carnivora : with a description of a new species of Protictis from the Middle Eocene of northwestern Wyoming. American Museum novitates ; no. 2725. 1982 CARROLL, R. L. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W.H. Freeman and Company, New York. 1988. p. 633
Species Genus: †Quercygale Species: Distribution of the species and type locality: Age:†Q. angustidens (Quercy Phosphorites and Sables Du Castrais)40.0–37.5 Ma†Q. hastingsae (Headon Bedes)37.8–37.5 Ma†Q. helvetica Rütimeyer, L. (1862.) "Eocaene Säugetiere aus dem Gebiet des Schweizerischen Jura." Neue Denkschriften der allgemeinen Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die gesammten Naturwissenschaften, 19, 1–98.47.8–41.2 Ma†Q. smithi (Mutigny and Mancy)55.2–47.8 Ma†Q. sp. [MNNA 9010] H. Astibia, A. Aranburu, X. Pereda Suberbiola, X. Murelaga, C. Sesé, M. A. Cuesta, S. Moyà-Solà, J. E. Baceta, A. Badiola and M. Köhler (2000.) "Un nouveau site à vertébrés continentaux de l'Éocène supérieur de Zambrana (Bassin de Maranda-Treviño, Alava, Pays basque)." Géobios 32(2):233-248 (Basque Country)37.0–35.0 Ma
References