Boyer diss 2009 1046..

carpolestid bulla is not split into chambers, and carpolestids must be considered as
exhibiting the “absent” state for cranial character 24 of Bloch and Silcox (2006).
For postcranial character 4, “Position of deltopectoral crest on humerus,” Bloch et
al. (2007) coded plesiadapids as polymorphic (0, 1) with some having a laterally
positioned crest and others having an anteriorly positioned crest. They based this
polymorphic coding on P. cookei (UM 87990) exhibiting an anteriorly positioned crest,
as contrasted with P. tricuspidens, P. walbeckensis and N. intermedius (USNM 442229)
which exhibit a laterally positioned crest. Additional specimens including those of cf.
Pr. gaoi (UALVP 49114) and P. rex (UM 64588) are observed to also have a laterally
positioned crest. This allows the ancestral node for Plesiadapidae to be optimized as
having the lateral position state.
For postcranial character 10, “Morphology of the ulnar trochlea on humerus,”
Bloch et al. (2007) coded Plesiadapidae with the “0” state, indicating “only a medial
ridge present.” However, Pr. gaoi (UALVP 49114), P. rex (UM 64588) and many P.
tricuspidens specimens exhibit a lateral ridge as well. Optimization reconstructs the
ancestral node of Plesiadapidae as having a medial and lateral ridge (state “1”).
For postcranial character 21, Bloch et al. (2007) coded plesiadapids with a
“question mark,” indicating that it was not known whether any plesiadapid had a nail on
any of its digits. However, the skeleton of Plesiadapis insignis in Gingerich (1976)
illustrates the presence of claws on all pedal digits, and all manual digits except for the
pollex, which is obscured. Furthermore, the form of the hallucal and pollical proximal
phalanges of P. tricuspidens and Nannodectes (see Chapter 4) suggest the presence of
claws, rather than nails.
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