Adalatherium

{{Speciesbox

| fossil_range = Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) {{Fossil range|70|66}}

| image = Adalatherium skull.svg

| image_caption = Restoration of the skull in lateral view

| display_parents = 3

| grandparent_authority = Krause et al, 2020

| parent_authority = Krause et al, 2020

| taxon = Adalatherium hui

| authority = Krause et al, 2020

}}

Adalatherium (Adàla, 'crazy' in Malagasy and therium, 'beast' in Greek) is an extinct gondwanatherian that lived on Madagascar during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous.{{cite journal |last1=Krause |first1=David W. |last2=Hoffmann |first2=Simone |last3=Hu |first3=Yaoming |last4=Wible |first4=John R. |last5=Rougier |first5=Guillermo W. |last6=Kirk |first6=E. Christopher |last7=Groenke |first7=Joseph R. |last8=Rogers |first8=Raymond R. |last9=Rossie |first9=James B. |last10=Schultz |first10=Julia A. |last11=Evans |first11=Alistair R. |date=2020-04-29 |title=Skeleton of a Cretaceous mammal from Madagascar reflects long-term insularity |journal=Nature |volume=581 |issue=7809 |issn=1476-4687 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2234-8 |pages=421–427 |pmid=32461642 |s2cid=216650606 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2234-8}} The discovery of the first nearly-complete Adalatherium skeleton from the Maevarano Formation was announced in April 2020.

Description

Although known fossil is estimated to be subadult individual, it had large skull reaching length {{convert|8.4|cm|in}}, body length about {{convert|52|cm|in}}{{Cite web |title=Madagascar's prehistoric 'crazy beast' sheds light on mammalian evolution |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/madagascar-adalatherium-hui-fossil-1673270-2020-05-01 |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=India Today |language=en}} and body mass is estimated between {{convert|1.775 - 5.218|kg|lb}}, making it one the largest known Mesozoic mammals only exceeded by fellow Malagasy gondwanathere Vintana, Repenomamus and Patagomaia. It is depicted in reconstructions as being built somewhat like a badger. Its skeleton is the most complete of any Southern Hemisphere Mesozoic mammal. Additionally, the front of the skull contains more foramina than any known mammal except Vincelestes.{{Cite journal |last1=Krause |first1=David W. |last2=Hoffmann |first2=Simone |last3=Rossie |first3=James B. |last4=Hu |first4=Yaoming |last5=Wible |first5=John R. |last6=Rougier |first6=Guillermo W. |last7=Kirk |first7=E. Christopher |last8=Groenke |first8=Joseph R. |date=2020-12-14 |title=Craniofacial morphology of Adalatherium hui (Mammalia, Gondwanatheria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2020.1808665 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=40 |issue=sup1 |pages=19–66 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2020.1808665 |s2cid=230968119 |issn=0272-4634}}