Tiny nocturnal predator Phascogale now ALSO basal to extinct Apatemys AND extinct Thylacoleo in the LRT

Traditionally,
“The phascogales (members of the eponymous genus Phascogale), also known as wambengers, are carnivorous Australian marsupials of the family Dasyuridae.”

Remember that word, “carnivorous.”

Here
in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2340 taxa) Phascogale (Figs 1,2) is basal to Apatemys (Fig 1) and the Apatemyidae AND basal to several dasyurids on a separate branch of the LRT with no intervening taxa.

Remember that word, “carnivorous.”

Earlier
Apatemys was linked to the living eucalyptus-eating apatemyid, Phascolarctos (Fig 3), the apparently cuddly, but actually cantankerous koala. Those two are still related in the current LRT.

Remember that word, “carnivorous.”

Currently in the LRT
carnivorous Phascogale + Apatemys are also basal to the carnivorous marsupial lion, Thylacoleo (Fig 3) and its smaller carnivorous relative, Wakaleo, a transitional taxon.

The koala, Phascolarctos, is a traditional wombat.
Currently in the LRT wombats evolved from different set of dasyurids (like extant Sminthopsis) which also produced kangaroos.

Sminthopsis is also basal to the Placentalia 3 clade in the LRT beginning with the hedgehog, Hemiechinus, and the sengi, Macroscelides.

Figure 2. Radinskya compared to the much larger Tillodon. The small orbit is rarely to never seen outside these two taxa. ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 2. Radinskya compared to the much larger Tillodon. The small orbit is rarely to never seen outside these two taxa.

” data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/radinskya-tillodon588.jpg?w=584″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/radinskya-tillodon588.jpg?w=584″ alt=”Figure 2. Radinskya compared to the much larger Tillodon. The small orbit is rarely to never seen outside these two taxa.” class=”wp-image-93912″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/radinskya-tillodon588.jpg?w=584 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/radinskya-tillodon588.jpg?w=148 148w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/radinskya-tillodon588.jpg?w=296 296w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/radinskya-tillodon588.jpg 588w” sizes=”auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />

Currently
Phascogale + Apatemys is also basal to members of the Tillodontia (Tillodon (Fig 3) + Trogosus) that also now includes the smaller Microysops (a former plesiadapid) and the smaller Radinskya (Fig 3), a traditional “perissodactyl-like mammal.”

In this new clade with all the above taxa,
small basal dasyurids like Phascogale (Figs 1, 2) evolved to become a variety of larger taxa with gnawing incisors, sometimes for plants, sometimes for prey.

These taxa demonstrate one of perhaps several examples of polyprotodonty convergently evolving into diprotodonty. More coming on this topic.

As of today
the LRT appears to nest several previously disassociated taxa together in one clade with only two extant members. This new nesting finally gives the marsupial lion Thylacoleo (Fig 2) phylogenetic carte blanche to be the top predator everyone thought it was. As of now Thylacoleo was ultimately derived from another noctyurnal predator, Phascogale (Figs 1, 2).

Please provide allowance for letting the intervening koala, Phascolarctos (Fig 2), become the arboreal leaf-eater it prefers to be.

I find these recent recoveries more than fascinating,
if valid, perhaps because they took so long to recover.

This all needs to be tested with a similar taxon list.

References
Meyer FAA 1793. Systematisch-summarische Uebersicht der neuesten zoologischen Entdeckungen in Neuholland und Afrika. Leipzig, Dykischen: 1–178 + 6 unnum. index.
Shaw G 1800. Descriptions of the Mus Bursarius and Tubularia Magnifica; from drawings communicated by Major-General Thomas Davies – Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 5: 227-229, Tab. 8-9. London.
Temminck CJ 1824. Monogr. Mamm. vol.1 p.23, 56.

wiki/Phascogale