Docofossor brachydactylus (Luo et al. 2015; Middle Jurassic, 160 mya; BMNH 131735; 9cm in precaudal length) was originally considered a member of the Docodontidae along with Docodon and Hadanodon outside of the Mammalia. Here it nests as a Jurassic sister to Anebodon and Notoryctes.

Broad, short-fingered hands, larger than the feet, along with other traits mark Docofossor as a digging animal, similar to moles like Talpa and Chrysochloris.

Notoryctes typhlops (Stirling 1888, 1891; extant; 16 cm in length) is the marsupial mole. Once classified as a monotreme, here it nests with the marsupial Anebodon and Ottoryctes in the large reptile tree. Notoryctes is blind with eyes reduced to vestigial lenses. It has no external ears. Four molars are present. The pouch opens toward the tail and contains two teats. Several neck vertebrae are fused.The clavicle is robust as an anchor for digging muscles. The tail verts are quite robust, especially for a mole. Tiny epipubes are present. A cloaca is present a trait otherwise seen in monotremes and tenrecs. The forelimb has transformed to support the two large digging claws of digits 3 and 4.

Ottoryctes winkleri (Bloch, Secord and Gingerich 2004. UM 7262 middle Wasatchian, Early Eocene, 3.6 cm skull length) is a relative to Notoryctes and Xenocranium. The posteriorly wide skull lacks cheek arches. The squamosals are enlarged and raised high above the jaw joint. Here the external bulbous otic area is restored. Compare this taxon to Notoryctesa and Xenocranium.

Xenocranium pileorivale (Colbert, 1942; Emry and Rose 1983; Late Oligocene) was originally considered a burrowing edentate, then a pangolin. Here it nests with Ottorynctes, a marsupial mole. Post-crania includes large claws, interpreted for burrowing. Skulls are shown life size on a 72dpi monitor.

Colbert EH 1942. Edentate from the Oligocene of Wyoming. Notulae Naturae. Academy of Natural Sciences, No. 109.              

Emry RJ and Rose KD 1983. Extraordinary Fossorial Adaptations in the Oligocene Palaeonodonts Epoicotherium and Xenocranium (Mammalia). Journal of Morphology 175(1):33–56.

Gadow H 1892. On the systematic position of Notoryctes typhlops. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1892, 361–370.

Luo Z-X, Meng QJ, Ji Q, Liu D, Zhang Y-G, Neande AI 2015. Evolutionary development in basal mammaliaforms as revealed by a docodontan. Science. 347 (6223): 760–764.

Bloch JI, Secord R and Gingerich P 2004. Systematics and Phylogeny of Late Paleocene and Early Eocene Palaeoryctinae (Mammalia, Insectivora) from the Clarks Fork and Bighorn Basins, Wyoming. Contrib Mus Paleontol Univ Mich 31(5):119–154.

Stirling EC 1888. Transactions of the Royal Society, South Australia 1888:21

Stirling EC 1891. Transactions of the Royal Society, South Australia 1891:154

wiki/Docofossor
wiki/Notoryctes
wiki/Necrolestes
wiki/Xenocranium
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