PBDB Taxon

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Herpetotherium

Osteichthyes

Taxonomy

Herpetotherium was named by Cope (1873).

It was synonymized subjectively with Didelphys by Cope (1879); it was synonymized subjectively with Peratherium by Cope (1884), Simpson (1928), Scott (1941), Galbreath (1953), Gazin (1976), Green and Martin (1976), Russell (1984), Ostrander (1987); it was synonymized subjectively with Didelphis by Hay (1902).

It was assigned to Didelphini by Krishtalka and Stucky (1983), Krishtalka and Stucky (1983); to Herpetotheriinae by Korth (1994), Johanson (1996); to Herpetotheriidae by Williamson et al. (2012); to Australidelphia by Engelman and Croft (2014); to Marsupialia by Wilson et al. (2016); to Herpetotheriinae by Dawson and Constenius (2018); to Didelphidae by Cope (1873), Troxell (1923), Hough (1961), Crochet (1977), Crochet (1980), Fox (1983), Korth (1992), Eberle and Storer (1995), McKenna and Bell (1997), Lofgren et al. (2020); and to Herpetotheriidae by Sánchez-Villagra et al. (2007), Rose et al. (2012), Carneiro and Oliveira (2017), Korth et al. (2022).

Species

H. fugax (syn. Didelphys pygmaea, H. scalare, H. tricuspis), H. innominatum, H. knighti (syn. Peratherium morrisi, Entomacodon minutus, Centracodon delicatus), H. marsupium, H. merriami, H. valens (syn. Peratherium donahoei), H. youngi (syn. Peratherium spindleri)

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1873	Herpetotherium Cope
1923	Herpetotherium Troxell
1961	Herpetotherium Hough
1977	Herpetotherium Crochet
1980	Herpetotherium Crochet
1983	Herpetotherium Fox
1983	Herpetotherium Krishtalka and Stucky p. 207
1992	Herpetotherium Korth
1994	Herpetotherium Korth p. 378
1995	Herpetotherium Eberle and Storer
1996	Herpetotherium Johanson p. 1023
1997	Herpetotherium McKenna and Bell
2007	Herpetotherium Sánchez-Villagra et al. p. 318
2012	Herpetotherium Rose et al. p. 18
2012	Herpetotherium Williamson et al.
2014	Herpetotherium Engelman and Croft
2016	Herpetotherium Wilson et al.
2017	Herpetotherium Carneiro and Oliveira
2018	Herpetotherium Dawson and Constenius p. 36
2020	Herpetotherium Lofgren et al.
2022	Herpetotherium Korth et al.

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
class	Osteichthyes
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()

Rank	Name	Author
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
subclass	Metatheria	()
—	Marsupialiformes
—	Marsupialia	()
—	Herpetotheriidae	(Trouessart 1879)
genus	Herpetotherium

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. †Herpetotherium Cope 1873

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†Herpetotherium fugax Cope 1873

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Invalid names: Didelphys pygmaea Scott 1894 [synonym], Herpetotherium scalare Cope 1873 [synonym], Herpetotherium tricuspis Cope 1873 [synonym]

†Herpetotherium innominatum Simpson 1928

†Herpetotherium knighti McGrew et al. 1959

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Invalid names: Centracodon delicatus Marsh 1872 [synonym], Entomacodon minutus Marsh 1872 [synonym], Peratherium morrisi Gazin 1962 [synonym]

†Herpetotherium marsupium Troxell 1923

†Herpetotherium merriami Stock and Furlong 1922

†Herpetotherium valens Lambe 1908

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Invalid names: Peratherium donahoei Hough 1961 [synonym]

†Herpetotherium youngi McGrew 1937

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Invalid names: Peratherium spindleri Macdonald 1963 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

terrestrialc

Locomotion:

actively mobilec

Life habit:

ground dwellingf

Diet:

omnivoref

Reproduction:

viviparoussubc

Created:

2011-04-28 21:40:09

Modified:

2011-04-28 06:40:09

Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum

References: Carroll 1988, Hopson 1973, Hendy et al. 2009, Clemens 1979, Sánchez-Villagra et al. 2007, Lillegraven 1979

Age range: base of the Lostcabinian to the top of the Hemingfordian or 56.00000 to 16.30000 Ma

Collections (193 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Lostcabinian	56.0 - 51.1	USA (Wyoming)	Peratherium innominatum (16073) Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium marsupium (15917 15930)
Wasatchian	56.0 - 51.1	USA (Colorado)	H. innominatum (15725)
Wasatchian	56.0 - 51.1	USA (Wyoming)	Copedelphys innominata (186946) Peratherium innominatum (15458 15942) Peratherium macgrewi (15491 15493 15516) Peratherium marsupium (46699)
Early/Lower Eocene	56.0 - 48.07	USA (Wyoming)	H. innominatum (154254) Peratherium innominatum (80580)
Wasatchian - Bridgerian	56.0 - 45.9	USA (Wyoming)	Peratherium marsupium (15669)
Bridgerian	51.1 - 45.9	USA (Utah)	Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium marsupium (16396)
Bridgerian	51.1 - 45.9	USA (Wyoming)	H. marsupium (16139 16405) Peratherium innominatum (15668 16100 16284 16323) Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti (16090 16098 16393) Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti, Peratherium marsupium (16219) Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium marsupium (16207 16254 16315 16415) Peratherium knighti (16108 16109 16113 16227 16244 16306 16345 16365 16370 16502 16647) Peratherium knighti, Peratherium marsupium (16499) Peratherium marsupium (16232 16273 16305 16357 16500) Peratherium morrisi (16198)
Early/Lower Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (California)	Peratherium innominatum (16762) Peratherium knighti (16669 16677 16681 16682 16697 16702 16705 16706 16707 16709 16710 16711 16713 16714 16715 16716 16718 16719 16737 16738 16745 16746 16747 16748 16751 16752)
Early/Lower Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Texas)	H. marsupium (16586 16651)
Early/Lower Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Colorado)	Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti (16623)
Early/Lower Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Wyoming)	H. knighti (93087 186964 186966 186968)
Late/Upper Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	Canada (Saskatchewan)	Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti, Peratherium marsupium (16626)
Late/Upper Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Montana)	Peratherium knighti (16584)
Late/Upper Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Texas)	Peratherium marsupium (16542)
Late/Upper Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (California)	Peratherium innominatum (16585)
Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Wyoming)	Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti (16513 16516) Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti, Peratherium marsupium (16514 16515 16517) Peratherium knighti (16576)
Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Texas)	H. marsupium (16587)
Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Montana)	H. knighti (222922)
Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (California)	Peratherium knighti (16786 16789 16791)
Uintan	45.9 - 39.7	USA (Utah)	H. sp. (213066)
Late/Upper Uintan - Duchesnean	45.9 - 37.0	USA (California)	Peratherium knighti (16616)
Uintan - Duchesnean	45.9 - 37.0	USA (California)	Peratherium knighti (16533)
Duchesnean	39.7 - 37.0	USA (California)	H. sp. (16813) H. valens (17039)
Duchesnean	39.7 - 37.0	USA (Utah)	Peradectidae indet. (16877)
Duchesnean	39.7 - 37.0	USA (Wyoming)	Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti, Peratherium marsupium (16826 16884) Peratherium marsupium (16853)
Duchesnean	39.7 - 37.0	Canada (Saskatchewan)	Peratherium innominatum, Peratherium knighti, Peratherium marsupium (16845) Peratherium sp. (16846)
Duchesnean - Chadronian	39.7 - 33.9	USA (Montana)	H. valens (16840)
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Montana)	H. sp. (16950) H. valens (16990 17041) H. valens, H. fugax (16959 17010) Peratherium donohoei, Peratherium fugax (16988)
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (North Dakota)	H. valens, H. fugax (16991)
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Colorado)	Peratherium fugax (16977)
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Nebraska)	Peratherium fugax (16917 16930 16941 17014 17033)
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	Canada (Saskatchewan)	H. sp. (16979) H. valens (16919)
Early/Lower Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Montana)	H. valens (27245)
Late/Upper Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	Canada (Saskatchewan)	H. valens, H. fugax (16981)
Late/Upper Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Montana)	H. valens (17027)
Middle Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	Canada (Saskatchewan)	H. sp. (16928)
Late/Upper Chadronian - Orellan	37.0 - 31.8	USA (Nebraska)	H. valens, H. fugax (230806)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (South Dakota)	Peratherium fugax (17097 17187 17189 17190)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	Canada (Saskatchewan)	H. fugax (17111)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Colorado)	Peratherium fugax (17081 17082)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Nebraska)	H. fugax (17108)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Montana)	H. fugax (17090 17138) H. valens, H. fugax (17109) Peratherium fugax (17074 17154)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Wyoming)	Peratherium spindleri (17318)
Whitneyan	31.8 - 29.5	Canada (Saskatchewan)	H. sp. (17372)
Whitneyan	31.8 - 29.5	USA (Oregon)	H. merriami (17349)
Whitneyan	31.8 - 29.5	USA (Colorado)	Peratherium fugax (17426)
Whitneyan	31.8 - 29.5	USA (South Dakota)	H. fugax (17336 17338) H. sp. (17337)
Whitneyan	31.8 - 29.5	USA (Montana)	H. fugax (230863)
Whitneyan	31.8 - 29.5	USA (Florida)	Didelphidae indet. (17341)
Geringian	29.5 - 24.7	USA (South Dakota)	Peratherium spindleri (17630 17634 17636)
Geringian	29.5 - 24.7	USA (Nebraska)	Marsupialia indet. (17709) Peratherium spindleri (17494 17495 17544 17566 17597)
Geringian - Monroecreekian	29.5 - 23.1	USA (Florida)	H. sp. (17726)
Arikareean	29.5 - 18.5	USA (Florida)	H. sp. (17476 17859)
Arikareean	29.5 - 18.5	USA (South Dakota)	Peratherium spindleri (17516)
Arikareean	29.5 - 18.5	USA (Oregon)	H. merriami (212628 212629 212630 212631)
Arikareean	29.5 - 18.5	USA (Nebraska)	Peratherium spindleri (17567 17568)
early Early Arikareean	29.5 - 18.5	USA (Nebraska)	H. fugax (156729)
late Late Arikareean	29.5 - 18.5	USA (California)	H. sp. (167836 167848 167851 167853 167856)
Chattian	27.3 - 23.04	USA (Florida)	H. sp. (17860)
Monroecreekian	24.7 - 23.1	USA (Nebraska)	H. sp. (67637)
Monroecreekian	24.7 - 23.1	Canada (Saskatchewan)	Peratherium sp. (17526)
Monroecreekian	24.7 - 23.1	USA (South Dakota)	Peratherium sp. (17563) Peratherium youngi (17561 17564)
Harrisonian	23.1 - 18.5	USA (Nebraska)	H. youngi (17802 17816 17843 67638 69806 69807) Peratherium youngi (17862)
Harrisonian	23.1 - 18.5	USA (Texas)	Peratherium sp. (17768)
Harrisonian	23.1 - 18.5	USA (Florida)	H. sp. (17837)
Early/Lower Hemingfordian	18.5 - 16.3	USA (California)	H. sp. (167840 167841)
Hemingfordian	18.5 - 16.3	USA (South Dakota)	Peratherium sp. (17878)