Macrocranion

{{Short description|Extinct genus of mammals}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = Early Eocene

| image = Macrocranion tupaiodon 01.jpg

| image_caption = M. tupaiodon in Staatliches Museum, Germany

| taxon = Macrocranion

| authority = Weitzel, 1949

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision_ref = {{cite web|title=Macrocranion general information|url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=40355|work=The Paleobiology Database|access-date=17 December 2021}}

| subdivision =

• M. germonpreae Smith, 1997
• M. junnei Smith et al., 2002
• M. nitens (Matthew, 1918)
• M. robinsoni (Krishtalka and Setoguchi, 1977)
• M. tenerum Tobien, 1962
• M. tupaiodon Weitzel, 1949
• M. vandebroeki (Quinet, 1964)

| synonyms =

• Aculeodens Weitzel, 1949
• Dormaalius Quinet, 1964

}}

Macrocranion is a genus of extinct mammal from the Eocene epoch of Europe and North America.{{cite book|last=Rose|first=Kenneth D.|title=The beginning of the age of mammals|date=2006|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore|isbn=080189221X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lyGqD_GWQ7oC&q=Macrocranion&pg=PT244}} Exceptional fossils have been found in the Messel Pit of Germany.{{cite journal|last=Maier|first=W.|title=Macrocranion tupaiodon Weitzel, 1949, - ein igelartiger Insektivor aus dem Eozän von Messel und seine Beziehungen zum Ursprung der Primaten|journal=Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research|date=1977|volume=15|issue=4|pages=311–318|doi=10.1111/j.1439-0469.1977.tb00544.x|doi-access=free}} Macrocranion species are often described as forest-floor predators, about the size of small squirrels but with longer limbs.{{cite journal|last=Maier|first=Wolfgang|title=Macrocranion tupaiodon, an adapisoricid (?) Insectivore from the Eocene of 'Grube Messel' (Western Germany)|journal=Paläontologische Zeitschrift|date=1979|volume=53|issue=1–2|pages=38–62|doi=10.1007/BF02987787|bibcode=1979PalZ...53...38M |s2cid=84124639}}

The genus is represented at the Messel Pit site by two species, M. tupaidon and M. tenerum.

Image:Macrocranion tenerum - reconstruction.png

M. tupaiodon had woolly fur with no spikes. Although possibly an omnivore, fossil remains indicate the specimen had eaten fish near the time of its death. This small animal was approximately fifteen cm in length, with long back legs capable of considerable speed.

The fossil of M. tenerum is five cm long. The species also had long legs for rapid movement, but its fur included a spiky protection. The long legs, however, indicate the animal couldn't have effectively rolled up for defense. Fossilized stomach remains show that M. tenerum's diet included ants, so it may have been an insectivore.

The oldest species are M. vandebroeki from the Paleocene-Eocene transition of Northern Europe and M. junnei from the Wasatchian (Early Eocene) of Wyoming.{{cite journal|author=Smith, T.|author2=Bloch, J. I.|author3=Strait, S. G.|author4=Gingerich, P. D.|name-list-style=amp|year= 2002|title= New species of Macrocranion (Mammalia, Lipotyphla) from the earliest Eocene of North America and its biogeographic implications|journal=Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan|volume= 30|number= 14|pages=373–384|url=http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/48665/ID532.pdf?sequence=2=2}}