The Microsyopidae are extinct mammals from the late Paleocene–late Eocene of North America and the late Paleocene of Europe. While results from phylogenetic analyses support euarchontan affinities, specific relationships of microsyopids to other plesiadapiforms (plausible stem primates), Euprimates (crown primates), Scandentia (treeshrews), and Dermoptera (colugos) are unresolved. An exceptionally well-preserved cranium of Microsyops annectens includes a basicranium that is generally primitive relative to that of other extinct and extant euarchontans in having: (1) a transpromontorial groove for an unreduced internal carotid artery (ICA) entering the middle ear posteromedially; (2) grooves (not tubes) on the promontorium, marking the course for both stapedial and promontorial branches of the ICA; (3) a foramen faciale that opens into the middle ear cavity, with the facial nerve exiting through a stylomastoid foramen primitivum; and (4) unexpanded caudal and rostral tympanic processes of the petrosal. The absence of any preserved bullar elements in the middle ear contrasts with that of other plesiadapiforms for which the region has been recovered, all of which have evidence of an ossified bulla. Microsyops lacks many of the specialized cranial characteristics of crown scandentians and dermopterans. The basicranial anatomy of microsyopids does not provide evidence in support of a clear link to any of the extant euarchontans, and suggests that the primitive morphology of this region in Euarchonta was little differentiated from that observed in the primitive placental mammals.

Fieldwork conducted in the Wasatch Formation in and around Fossil Butte has yielded a diverse assemblage of early Eocene vertebrates. Fossil vertebrates are distributed through three discrete stratigraphic intervals within the uppermost 180 m of the main body of the Wasatch Formation underlying the Green River Formation. These assemblages were derived primarily from fluvial overbank mudstone units overprinted with variably well-developed paleosols. The lowest (20 m) and highest (60 m) sections are characterized by less mature and more hydromorphic paleosols, whereas the middle section (100 m) is typified by more mature paleosols and more abundant channel sandstones.

The combined assemblages contain at least 46 species of mammals. Faunal characteristics include high abundances of equid perissodactyls and a relatively high abundance and diversity of notharctines primates, an apparent absence of omomyid primates, relatively high rodent diversity, and relatively diverse and abundant artiodactyls. One new genus (Eoictops new genus) and three new species (Eoictops novaceki new species, Palaeosinopa lacus new species, and ?Notoparamys blochi new species) are included in the Fossil Butte assemblage. Also recorded are late occurrences of two hyopsodontid condylarths and an early occurrence of a rare phenacodontid condylarth. The relatively high abundances of equids and notharctines suggest that vertebrate samples were derived from relatively open paleohabitats that included forested areas along water courses.

All three assemblages contain characteristic Lysitean (Wasatchian biochron Wa-6) elements, but the occurrence of the palaeotheriid perissodactyl Lambdotherium in the uppermost horizon indicates a Lostcabinian (Wa-7) age for at least the top of the Wasatch Formation. The overlying predominantly fish-bearing Fossil Butte Member of the Green River Formation also contains Lambdotherium and is therefore Wa-7 in age as well.

Advancement of understanding in paleontology and biology has always been hindered by difficulty in accessing comparative data. With current and burgeoning technology, the severity of this hindrance can be substantially reduced. Researchers and museum personnel generating three-dimensional (3-D) digital models of museum specimens can archive them using internet repositories that can then be explored and utilized by other researchers and private individuals without a museum trip. We focus on MorphoSource, the largest web archive for 3-D museum data at present. We describe the site, how to use it most effectively in its current form, and best practices for file formats and metadata inclusion to aid the growing community wishing to utilize it for distributing 3-D digital data. The potential rewards of successfully crowd sourcing the digitization of museum collections from the research community are great, as it should ensure rapid availability of the most important datasets. Challenges include long-term governance (i.e., maintaining site functionality, supporting large amounts of digital storage, and monitoring/updating file to prevent bit rot, which is the slow and random corruption of electronic data over time, and data format obsolescence, which is the problem of data becoming unreadable or ineffective because of the loss of functional software necessary for access), and utilization by the community (i.e., detecting and minimizing user error in creating data records, incentivizing data sharing by researchers and institutions alike, and protecting stakeholder rights to data, while maximizing accessibility and discoverability).

MorphoSource serves as a proof-of-concept of how these kinds of challenges can be met. Accordingly, it is generally recognized as the most appropriate repository for large, raw datasets of fossil organisms and/or comparative samples. Its existence has begun to transform data transparency standards because journal reviewers, editors, and grant officers now often suggest or require that 3-D data be made available through this site.

Recent work on new anthracothere (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) specimens from the Jebel Qatrani Formation, early Oligocene, Fayum, Egypt, has revealed the presence of a new genus. Nabotherium new genus is described on the basis of a partial skull, several mandibular and maxillary specimens, and isolated teeth. The new genus exhibits a distinctive combination of features not seen in other Paleogene anthracotheres. The most noticeable characteristics of the new genus include the presence of large and well-developed upper and lower canines, caniniform third incisors, the presence of only a short diastema between the canine and first premolar, and broad, bunodont cheek teeth. This is in contrast to other contemporary anthracotheres, including other forms from the Fayum, which show a spatulate third incisor, a reduced canine, a much longer canine-premolar diastema, and more narrow, bunoselenodont cheek teeth. The presence of a relatively short rostrum with closely packed incisors, low-crowned and simple premolars, and low-crowned, bunodont molars indicates that members of the new genus would have been more efficient at crushing foods than slicing vegetation, and suggests a more varied herbivorous and frugivorous diet than was favored by other, more bunoselenodont Fayum anthracotheres.

Uintasoricines are diminutive plesiadapiforms that are found in the latest Paleocene through middle Eocene, predominantly in North America. They are not a diverse group but individual species may be locally abundant and they are a persistent element of the plesiadapiform radiation in North America surviving over a span of approximately 16 million years. Recent field work in southern Wyoming at South Pass has led to the discovery of a new genus and species of uintasoricine. The new form is smaller in tooth dimensions compared to other known uintasoricines, being slightly smaller than Uintasorex montezumicus from California. Both the newly described taxon and U. montezumicus are among the smallest plesiadapiforms yet known with body weights estimated to be 20 to 25 g. The sediments of the Cathedral Bluffs Tongue of the Wasatch Formation at South Pass contain a unique upland fauna—the presence of a distinctive uintasoricine in this assemblage adds further evidence to support the notion that this upland environment was a biodiversity hotspot during the latest early Eocene.

Borings in fossil turtle shells collected from the lowermost beds of the early Eocene Cathedral Bluffs Tongue of the Wasatch Formation in the northwestern part of the Green River Basin near South Pass, Wyoming, are herein described. Individual turtle shells in the study area are characterized by as few as one or two and as many as >100 borings. The borings include both non-penetrative forms (those which do not pass fully though the shell) as well as penetrative forms (those which pass fully from the exterior to the interior surface of the shell). All non-penetrative forms occur on external surfaces of the carapace and plastron (i.e. those that would have been accessible while the host taxon was alive). Two new ichnogenera and four new ichnospecies are established to describe these borings. Karethraichnus (new ichnogenus) includes three ichnospecies: K. lakkos (new ichnospecies), K. kulindros (new ichnospecies), and K. fiale (new ichnospecies). Karethraichnus lakkos are shallow (non-penetrating), hemispherical pits with rounded, to flattened bases. Karethraichnus kulindros are deep, non-penetrative traces with a cylindrical profile, an axis approximately perpendicular to the substrate surface and with rounded to flattened, hemispherical termini. Karethraichnus fiale are penetrative traces with a cylindrical to bi-convex or flask-shaped profile, and an axis approximately perpendicular to the substrate surface. Thatchtelithichnus (new ichnogenus) Thatchtelithichnus holmani (new ichnospecies) consist of non-penetrative borings into a bone substrate. They consist of a ring-shaped trace, with a central pedestal or platform. The position of the borings on the shells, and evidence of syn-emplacement healing of the borings in several of the turtles, indicates that these borings were emplacement by ectoparasites/mesoparasites while the animals were living. Similar traces in modern emydid turtles are attributed to ticks, leeches, or spirorchid liver flukes.

The early Miocene site of Wadi Moghra, Qattara Depression, Egypt, is important for interpreting anthracothere (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) evolution, because the Moghra sediments preserve a higher diversity of anthracotheres than any other pene-contemporaneous site. New specimens from Moghra are described and form the basis for the systematic revision of Moghra anthracotheres provided here. Among the important discoveries recently made at Moghra is the first complete skull of Sivameryx moneyi. Other new specimens described here include two new species of Afromeryx, and a new genus and species, all of which are unique to Moghra. A review of biogeographic information supports the conclusion that three of the Moghra anthracotheres (Brachyodus depereti, B. mogharensis, and Jaggermeryx naida, n. gen. n. sp.) are members of late surviving lineages with a long history in Africa, while three other species (Afromeryx grex, n. sp., A. palustris, n. sp., and Sivameryx moneyi) represent more recent immigrants from Eurasia.

Brontotheriids are common in Eocene faunas of North America and Asia but are poorly known from the Indian subcontinent. Here we describe three new late early Eocene brontotheriids from Pakistan, found in the upper part of the upper Ghazij Formation and representing the oldest Asian brontotheres. Eotitanops pakistanensis n. sp. is a small, primitive species, Balochititanops haqi n. gen. n. sp. is slightly larger and more derived, and fragmentary specimens identified as cf. Balochititanops sp. appear to represent a third, larger taxon.

Improved knowledge of early brontotheres from North America permits better taxonomic resolution of some middle Eocene brontothere remains from Pakistan. ‘Eotitanops’ dayi from the Kuldana Formation is shown to be closer to Palaeosyops and is renamed Palaeosyops dayi n. comb. A new astragalus from the Baska Formation probably represents Pakotitanops latidentatus. A previously described humerus and a new calcaneum, both from the Subathu Formation, are tentatively referred to Mulkrajanops moghliensis.

Phylogenetic interpretation suggests that Eotitanops pakistanensis is as primitive as the North American species of this basal brontothere genus, and also, within the limits of stratigraphic resolution, Eotitanops appeared on both continents at the same time. The origin of brontotheres is therefore equally likely to have been in Asia or in North America. The presence of the primitive brontotheres Eotitanops and Palaeosyops in Indo-Pakistan and North America indicates faunal exchange, almost certainly through Asia, although the direction of dispersal cannot be determined. The postulated high-latitude exchange coincides with a warm interval known as the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.