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Classification of Mammals Above Species Level
... Remarks There are late Miocene-early Pliocene reports of Lepus from Africa, but none of this material has been adequately described and these assignments should be considered extremely tentative. These would be very early dates for the presence of Lepus in Africa, considering that the earliest records of Lepus elsewhere in the world are early (Europe) and late (North America) Pliocene (McKenna and Bell, 1997). Haile-Selassie et al. (2004) tentatively assign isolated leporid teeth from the late Miocene Adu-Asa Formation, Middle Awash, Ethiopia, to Lepus. ...
... None of this material has been described formally and it remains to be determined if this early material actually pertains to Lepus. Outside of Africa, the earliest reports of Lepus are from the late Pliocene of North America and the early Pliocene of Europe (McKenna and Bell, 1997). Suchentrunk et al. (2006) state that the origin of Lepus may be circa 2.5 Ma. ...
... The tribe Antilopini comprises antelopes of the genus Gazella and related forms. The tribe includes up to 15-16 fossil genera and up to 13 extant genera, of which four: Gazella (s.s.), Antilope, Nanger, and Eudorcas belong to true gazelles (McKenna and Bell, 1997;Groves and Grubb, 2011;Hassanin et al., 2012;Bärmann et al., 2013). All these antelopes, mostly small and medium in size, had straight or lyre-shaped horns. ...
... 5644/306, frontal: length from posterior edge of supraorbital foramen to frontoparietal suture, 41; maximum pedicle length posteriorly, 5.5; horn core: length (in a straight line) to broken margin 125.5; transverse diameter (DT) and anteroposterior diameter ( R e m a r k s. At present, the genus Gazella and related forms are assigned to the tribe Antilopini of the family Antilopinae (McKenna and Bell, 1997;Gentry et al., 1999;Bibi et al., 2009;Gentry, 2010), and are not separated into a separate subfamily Gazellinae, as it is was treated previously, in particular, by E.L. Dmitrieva (1977). M a t e r i a l. ...
... The abundance of the fossil record of glyptodonts is partly due to the quantity of osteoderms of a single carapace. This abundance in addition to osteoderm variation has led to an overestimation of glyptodont diversity, especially during the Pleistocene (e.g., McKenna & Bell, 1997;Fernicola & Porpino, 2012). The reassessments of glyptodont diversity during the last ten years have been confined more largely within genera or subfamilies than among them (e.g., Cuadrelli et al., 2020;Núñez-Blasco et al., 2021Zamorano et al., 2014aZurita et al., 2018). ...
... The reassessments of glyptodont diversity during the last ten years have been confined more largely within genera or subfamilies than among them (e.g., Cuadrelli et al., 2020;Núñez-Blasco et al., 2021Zamorano et al., 2014aZurita et al., 2018). For instance, according to Cuadrelli et al. (2020), Glyptodon is composed of only three species Glyptodon munizi Ameghino, 1881, Glyptodon reticulatus Owen, 1845, and Glyptodon jatunkhirkhi Cuadrelli, Zurita, Toriño, Miño-Boilini, Perea, Luna, Gilette & Medina, 2020, which marks a drastic decrease in the traditionally assumed diversity of Glyptodon during the Pleistocene (McKenna & Bell, 1997;Zurita et al., 2018). Another good example of taxonomical reduction concerns Neosclerocalyptus, due to many erroneous interpretations and assignments to "Lomaphorini" and Hoplophorus Lund, 1839 based on taphonomic alterations (Quiñones et al., 2020;Zurita et al., 2017). ...
With their odd cranial features, glyptodonts, closely related to extant armadillos, are a highly diverse group of the South American megafauna. Doedicurus, Glyptodon, Panochthus, and Neosclerocalyptus were present in the “Pampean Formation” during the Pleistocene, and they are all exceptionally preserved in the Santiago Roth Collection, thus ofering the possibility of investigating these four well-diversifed genera. A total of 13 specimens (seven species) were analysed and compared in a qualitative/quantitative study of external cranial remains and endocranial reconstructions (i.e., braincase and associated cranial canals, and inner ears). We report on anatomical features that contribute to existing phylogenetic matrices; many of them are new potential synapomorphies supporting the current hypotheses regarding the evolutionary history of the Pleistocene glyptodonts. These include the anterior cranial shape, the position of the basicranium in respect to the whole cranium, the shape of the cranial roof, the position of the largest semicircular canal, and the inclination of the cerebrum. They may represent new shared-derived features among Glyptodon, Doedicurus, Neosclerocalyptus, and Panochthus. We also provide detailed comparative descriptions highlighting new potential convergences in respect to current phylogenies, concerning, for instance, the shape of the foramen magnum, the global shape of the cranium, orbital shape, cochlear position, and a strong protrusion of the zygomatic process of the squamosal. In light of these results, we discuss morphological transformations across phylogeny. The endocranial comparison brought insights on the phylogenetic patterns of cranial canal evolution.
... It comprises small to medium-sized herbivorous with predominantly brachydont or mesodont dentition (Bond et al. 2001;Corona et al. 2019Corona et al. , 2020 and with a modified autopodium tending to monodactyly due to the absence of digits I and V, reduction of lateral digits II and IV, and enlargement of metapod III (Bond et al. 2001;Soria 2001;Ubilla et al. 2011;Schmidt et al. 2022;Carrillo et al. 2023). Proterotheriidae (without Anisolambdinae; Cifelli 1983b) is recorded from the late Oligocene until the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, and Chile (Carlini et al. 2006;Scherer et al. 2009;Vezzosi et al. 2009;Ubilla et al. 2011;Corona et al. 2020;McGrath et al. 2020a) constituting one of the most long-lived groups of the South American Cenozoic (Pascual et al. 1996;McKenna and Bell 1997). During the Neogene, this group experienced at least two significant changes in their taxonomic richness: a main increase during the Early Miocene and another growth, although smaller, towards the Late Miocene (Villafañe et al. 2006;Schmidt et al. 2018Schmidt et al. , 2019Corona et al. 2020). ...
We describe several proterotheriid remains from the Andalhuala and the Corral Quemado formations (Villavil-Quillay and Santa María basins, Catamarca Province) and the Andalhuala Formation (Santa María Basin at Encalilla, Tucumán Province), Argentina. Neobrachytherium intermedium distinguishes from N. morenoi by the presence of lophoid metaconules in upper molars and astragalus with fusiform attachment for the tibioastragalar ligament, while N. morenoi presents bunoid metaconules and astragalus with ectal facet slightly projected laterally without attachment for the tibioastragalar ligament. ?Proterotherium
simplicidens is considered junior synonym of N. intermedium. N. intermedium is circumscribed to levels ca. 6.02 Ma in the Santa María Basin (extendable to ca. 6.88 Ma), to ca. 3.66 Ma in Puerta de Corral Quemado. N. morenoi is restricted to levels above ca. 6.02 to below ca. 4.85 Ma in the Santa María Basin. While other species of Neobrachytherium (i.e. N. ullumense and N. ameghinoi) are distributed in Argentina and Uruguay, N. intermedium and N. morenoi only have records in the late Neogene of northwestern Argentina. These distributions align with earlier hypotheses regarding a regional ecological distinction between the western and eastern regions in the northern half of Argentina during the late Neogene while also fitting the paleophytogeographic provinces (Neotropical and Proto-Spinal).
... Anteriormente clasificados en el orden Xenartha o Edentata, últimamente los taxónomos han considerado las especies descritas en éste capítulo como miembros del orden Cingulata (McKenna & Bell, 1997;Salazar et al., 2003). El orden se limita en su distribución geográfica al Nuevo Mundo, con mayor diversidad en América del Sur (Reig, 1981). ...
... Anteriormente clasificados en el orden Xenartha o Edentata, últimamente los taxónomos han considerado las especies descritas en éste capítulo como miembros del orden Cingulata (McKenna & Bell, 1997;Salazar et al., 2003). El orden se limita en su distribución geográfica al Nuevo Mundo, con mayor diversidad en América del Sur (Reig, 1981). ...
... The features of the mammalian cranium are informative and serve as a proper tool for understanding adaptive evolutionary processes (Machado, 2020) and are systematically significant (Sympson, 1945;Tryon, 1951;Novacek, 1993;McKenna & Bell, 1997;Kemp, 2005). ...
Cranial sexual dimorphism in grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) from Bulgaria has not been studied so far. Skulls from adult individuals from across the country were studied. Thirty-six parameters (35 craniodental measurements and a volumetric one) of each skull were measured. The Bulgarian wolf population exhibits weak craniodental sexual dimorphism, which is male-biased, as is typical in canids with a monogamous social system. However, the sexual dimorphism is more pronounced than in the studied more northern populations.
... Its overall physique, marked by a rounded cranium and large eyes, elongated vertebrate, slender and elongated limb bones, and none fully retractable claws, is finely tuned for swift pursuit of prey across open terrain (Van Valkenburgh et al., 2018). These unique adaptations have historically led to the classification of the cheetah within its own subfamily Acinonychinae (Pocock, 1917;Kretzoi, 1929;Haltenorth, 1936Haltenorth, , 1937Thenius, 1969;McKenna and Bell, 1997). On the other hand, some other researchers regarded it as belonging to Felinae (Simpson, 1945;Ewer, 1973). ...
The fossil records of the cheetahs in eastern Asia are is rare, and mostly fragmented,
then and in theconsequence, the evolution of this lineage in eastern Asia remained
remains obscure. In this study, we report the new material from two early Middle
Pleistocene sites, the upper deposits (L2) of Jinyuan Cave (Dalian) and Zhoukoudian
Loc.13 (Beijing). These specimens are identified here as Acinonyx pleistocaenicus and
represent the latest and largest-sized member of the species. Acinonyx
pleistocaenicus shows a suit of craniodental traits that distinguishes it from the earlier
Early Pleistocene A. pardinensis but, and relates it closer to modern A. jubatus , and
should be regarded as a valid species. Shortly after the age represented by
Zhoukoudian Loc. 13 (0.6-0.7 Ma), the giant cheetah was replaced by much smaller
and morphologically different Acinonyx intermedius, supporting these two species as
independent, and the latter was likely a new immigrant from Africa around the Early-
Middle Pleistocene boundary, together with Panthera spelaea, Panthera pardus, and
Parahyaena prisca.
... Cingulates are traditionally divided into three groups with family status: the extinct Glyptodontidae and Pampatheriidae, and Dasypodidae, with living and extinct species. Additional family-level taxa recognized within cingulates include Peltephilidae and Palaeopeltidae (Mckenna & Bell, 1997) and, more recently, Pachyarmatheriidae (Pachyarmatherium + Neoglyptatelus; Fernicola et al., 2018), but their broader affinities remain elusive. ...
The Cingulata clade has a great taxonomic diversity, and its remains are abundantly found in the fossil record of South America, represented mainly by elements from the exoskeleton. Most of the work on cingulate fossils from the Brazilian Quaternary is restricted to taxonomy, while studies on paleobiology, including pathological aspects, are still scarce. This paper describes new exoskeletal specimens and paleopathological evidence for cingulates from Quaternary deposits in Bahia State, Brazil, among the identified taxa (Pachyarmatheriumbrasiliense, Tolypeutes cf. tricinctus, Propraopussulcatus, Glyptotherium sp., Neuryurus sp., Panochthus sp., Hoplophorus cf. euphractus, Pampatheriumhumboldtii, and Holmesina paulacoutoi). Neuryurus is recorded for the first time in the Quaternary of Bahia. Skin lesions, possibly caused by fungi or bacteria, are identified for Panochthus sp. and Glyptotherium sp. In addition, we identified lesions caused by fleas in Glyptotherium sp. These findings underscore disharmonious interspecific relationships involving microorganisms and parasites with glyptodonts, aligning with previous research conclusions. Keywords: Paleobiology, Paleopathology, Cingulata, Quaternary.
... In fact, the differences between Pa. brunnea and P. perrieri are smaller than those observed between the three species of Pachycrocuta. Therefore, it seems appropriate to accept the proposal of McKenna and Bell (1997) to place Pa. brunnea within the genus Pachycrocuta, and consequently, 'H.' prisca as well. ...
The dentition of several species of hyenas within the lineages leading to Parahyaena brunnea and Pachycrocuta brevirostris was analysed from a multivariate point of view. The probable origin of these lineages can be traced back to China in the late Miocene or early Pliocene, from an initial stock that dispersed across the Old World during the Zanclean. This ancestral stock is believed to comprise Parahyaena howelli and Pliocrocuta perrieri from the Zanclean and is suggested to be grouped into Pachycrocuta pyrenaica. The subsequent Pliocrocuta perrieri arose from such a stock and is proposed to be reassigned to Pachycrocuta perrieri. The findings obtained substantiate the hypothesis that Pachycrocuta bellax represents a species distinct from Pachycrocuta brevirostris. Pachycrocuta perrieri is posited as the ancestor of Pachycrocuta brevirostris in Eurasia, and Parahyaena brunnea in Africa. The sequence Pachycrocuta pyrenaica, Pachycrocuta perrieri, and Pachycrocuta brevirostris delineates an evolutionary trend marked by greater specialization in the scavenging niche, manifested through augmented overall dentition size and development of bone-breaking part of the dentition at the expense of a reduction in its cutting region. Present-day forms of Parahyaena brunnea also exhibit such specialization, but the size of the dentition is similar to that of Pachycrocuta perrieri. ‘Hyaena’ prisca is considered a basal form of Parahyaena brunnea, akin to specimens recovered from Elandsfontein approximately 1 million years ago, which recolonized Europe following the extinction of Pachycrocuta brevirostris. The degree of divergence of the extant forms of Parahyaena brunnea from ‘Hyaena’ prisca justifies their classification as distinct species. A proposal is made to integrate both the brown hyena and ‘Hyaena’ prisca into the genus Pachycrocuta.
... The Triconodonta has since been abandoned due to evidence that this expanded group with the "triconodont" pattern is paraphyletic (e.g., Luo et al., 2002;Rougier et al., 1996;Wible and Hopson, 1993). The Eutriconodonta, however, has been retained, raised to the rank of order (McKenna and Bell, 1997;Stucky and McKenna, 1993), and placed within Mammalia (e.g., Luo et al., 2002;Rowe, 1988;Wible and Hopson, 1993). It is considered to be the least inclusive clade comprising triconodontids and taxa more closely related to triconodontids than to morganucodontans, spalacotheriids, tinodontids, and multituberculates (Kielan-Jaworowska et al., 2004). ...
Eutriconodonta is a diverse group of crown mammals that are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous, mainly on the northern landmasses. Here we report a single lower molariform from the "intertrappean" deposits exposed near Anjar, in the Kutch district of the state of Gujarat, India that date to the last 259,000 years of the Cretaceous. The lower molariform of this new genus of eutriconodontan is relatively large, has three subequal, erect, lanceolated cusps, and lacks both a buccal and lingual cingulum, accessory cusps (d, e), and a vertical groove mesial to cusp b. It represents the first eutriconodontan mammal from the Cretaceous of India and the Late Cretaceous of Gondwana, and is the globally youngest record of this group. The results of a cladistic analysis support placement of the new Indian taxon among the Eutriconodonta, possibly more closely allied to triconodontids than to other groups. This new genus of eutriconodontan is the tenth named mammalian species known from the Late Cretaceous of India and the first relatively large-bodied faunivore. This record shows that the Eutriconodonta had a broader temporal and geographic distribution than previously thought and highlights the importance of continued paleontological exploration on the Indian subcontinent.
... Another study placed them together in the tribe Phenacomyini (Zagorodnyuk, 1990). Others placed Phenacomys with Phaiomys and other extinct genera (Repenning, Fejfar & Heinrich, 1990) or with the tribe Myodini (McKenna & Bell, 1997). Both Phenacomys and Arborimus have primitive molars that retain the plesiomorphic condition of retaining roots on molars, and they lack cementum in the reentrant angles on those molars; therefore some paleontologists argued that Phenacomys is an early relict lineage (Repenning, 1987). ...
Background
Arvicoline rodents are one of the most speciose and rapidly evolving mammalian lineages. Fossil arvicolines are also among the most common vertebrate fossils found in sites of Pliocene and Pleistocene age in Eurasia and North America. However, there is no taxonomically robust, well-supported, time-calibrated phylogeny for the group.
Methods
Here we present well-supported hypotheses of arvicoline rodent systematics using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference of DNA sequences of two mitochondrial genes and three nuclear genes representing 146 (82% coverage) species and 100% of currently recognized arvicoline genera. We elucidate well-supported major clades, reviewed the relationships and taxonomy of many species and genera, and critically compared our resulting molecular phylogenetic hypotheses to previously published hypotheses. We also used five fossil calibrations to generate a time-calibrated phylogeny of Arvicolinae that permitted some reconciliation between paleontological and neontological data.
Results
Our results are largely congruent with previous molecular phylogenies, but we increased the support in many regions of the arvicoline tree that were previously poorly-sampled. Our sampling resulted in a better understanding of relationships within Clethrionomyini, the early-diverging position and close relationship of true lemmings ( Lemmus and Myopus ) and bog lemmings ( Synaptomys ), and provided support for recent taxonomic changes within Microtini. Our results indicate an origin of ∼6.4 Ma for crown arvicoline rodents. These results have major implications (e.g., diversification rates, paleobiogeography) for our confidence in the fossil record of arvicolines and their utility as biochronological tools in Eurasia and North America during the Quaternary.
... The Notoungulata order, which originated in South America (Simpson, 1948;McKenna and Bell, 1997), is a diverse and successful group of mammals. Comprising of two monophyletic suborders, Toxodontia and Typotheria, as well as two families with basal or uncertain phylogenetic positions, Notostylopidae and Henricosborniidae (Roth, 1903a(Roth, , 1903bBradham et al., 2015;Bauzá et al., 2019Bauzá et al., , 2020, this group has thrived in a variety of ecological niches over time. ...
We present a detailed analysis of the craniomandibular and dental remains of Mesotherium cristatum, the qua-ternary mesotheriid typotherid notoungulate, from Corralito, Santa María Department, Cordoba Province. This population represents the final lineage of Typotheria during middle Pleistocene, Post-Ensenadan Age (>220 ± 13 ka). We compared these new craniomandibular and postcranial samples from Corralito with those from Toscas del Río de La Plata, as well as other localities in the province of Buenos Aires dating to the Ensenadan Age 1.98-0.4 Ma). Our investigation reveals a substantial decline in the size and body mass of the last known population of M. cristatum during the Bonaeran Age period, before its extinction. This occurrence, hitherto un-recorded in any prior South American Land Mammal Age leading up to extinction, might be attributed to the climatic and abiotic changes of the Pleistocene. These changes notably caused a marked reduction in the pale-obiogeographical distribution area ofM. cristatum during the Middle Pleistocene. This size and body mass reduction, possibly an outcome of compelled reproductive isolation, is situated against the context of global cooling and heightened predatory pressures. Moreover, our analysis unveiled distinctive taxonomic attributes specific to this taxon, we compare dental size and find a preliminary evidence of an accelerated tooth replacement pattern. Furthermore, we have effectively updated the faunal composition information of the Corralito deposit, elucidating previous biostratigraphic inferences that had led to the belief of Corralito being an Ense-nadan Age site. This adjustment impacts the first appearance datum (FAD) of the Neolicaphrium recens proter-otheriid litoptern, younger than previously estimated and revised Bonaerian-Lujanian. Finally, this study provides insights into the biological analysis of the iconic species M. cristatum, prevalent in the South American quaternary of the Pampean region. It unreveils new faunal features specific to the Pampean region, shedding light particularly on the lesser-explored western area. These findinngs provide crucial insight into the ever-evolving ecosystem dynamics during the Middle Pleistocene.
... By contrast, the record of extinct sloths documents considerable diversity in size (from dozens of kilograms to almost five tonnes), substrate preference, and diet (e.g., Bargo, 2001;Pujos et al., 2007;McDonald & De Iuliis, 2008;Bargo et al., 2009Bargo et al., , 2012Amson et al., 2014;Toledo et al., 2017). McKenna and Bell (1997) noted that some 90 genera had been described, but several others have since been erected (e.g., Cartelle et al., 2008;Rinderknecht et al., 2010;McDonald et al., 2013;De Iuliis et al., 2016;Stinnesbeck et al., 2017). The group is generally considered to include five clades, traditionally recognized as families, based on osteological characters: Bradypodidae, Megalonychidae, Nothrotheriidae, Mylodontidae, and Megatheriidae (e.g., Gaudin, 2004;McDonald & De Iuliis, 2008;Varela et al., 2019). ...
This report is a continuation of the work published a decade ago on the status of specimens assigned in the literature and museum
records to the megalonychid sloth Eucholoeops from the early–middle Miocene Santa Cruz Formation (~ 18 to 15.6 Ma, Santacrucian Age) of Argentine Patagonia. This previous report concluded that several species (i.e., E. latirostris, E. externus, and E. curtus) are junior synonyms of E. ingens, but the authors were unable to analyze several other species and remains assigned to this genus. Here, analysis of these other species and remains suggest that E. fronto and E. lafonei are also junior synonyms of E. ingens. Included in the current report is a specimen recently recovered from the field of E. ingens that preserves, for the first time, an ectotympanic of Eucholoeops. In addition to the mainly cranial skeletal features analyzed here, consideration of postcranial remains indicate that the medial and lateral distal articular condyles of the femur are both contiguous with the patellar trochlea, in contrast to the previously reported condition of a separate lateral articular condyle in E. ingens. The authors further conclude that several features of E. latifrons suggest that this species is indeed distinct from E. ingens and that some specimens assigned in the literature to E. ingens cannot be so assigned with confidence.
... Even though knowledge of phylogenetic relationships between extant and extinct species of Octodontidae is still quite insufficient, it is clear that most of the Late Oligocene-Pliocene fossils recovered cannot currently be assigned to any of the living genera (Rovereto 1914;Wood and Patterson 1959;Reig and Quintana 1991;Verzi 2001;Verzi et al. 2014); but see Reig (1986), and McKenna and Bell (1997) for provisional hypotheses. Rather, the fossil record of these living genera is restricted to Late Pleistocene-Holocene materials recovered essentially from archaeological sites and assignable to living species see below). ...
A Late Holocene (ca. 3,100 to 380 BP) sample of the viscacha rat genus Octomys (Octodontidae) from the Vaquería Gruta 1 site (VQ-G1) in western Argentina is reported. Phylogenetic and morphometric comparative analyses with living octodontids support that the VQ-G1 sample is related to the desert specialists Tympanoctomys and Octomys, and is sister to the only living species of the latter, O. mimax. The estimated morphological distance to O. mimax is greater than that between pairs of congeneric octodontid species, and even greater than that between some species belonging to different genera. This suggests that the sample represents a new species, whose young age prevents interpreting it as an anagenetic ancestor of O. mimax. If the new species is the result of cladogenesis, its absence in the current fauna represents actual extinction, which among caviomorphs is added to those of †Clyomys riograndensis, †Dicolpomys fossor, †Ctenomys viarapaensis, and †Galea tixiensis—also extinct in the Late Holocene. Thus, the VQ-G1 sample provides evidence of changes in diversity and distribution undergone by small mammals in southern South America during that time. The potential contribution of the Holocene record may be key to elucidate this issue from both an evolutionary and a conservation perspective. This requires a detailed systematic approach to determine whether the taxa under study are truly independent evolutionary units, as well as geographically broad sampling efforts to distinguish the changes affecting distribution from those producing irreversible changes in diversity.
... The shrew moles of the genus Uropsilus Milne-Edwards, 1871 are the sole living genus in the subfamily Uropsilinae in Talpidae (Mckenna et al. 1997;Hutterer 2005). These insectivores primarily inhabit the mountains of southwestern China, as well as adjacent areas in Bhutan and northeastern Myanmar, where they inhabit montane forests at 1,400-3,600 m elevation (IUCN 2015;Hoffmann and Lunde 2008). ...
Asian shrew moles, genus Uropsilus , are the most primitive members of family Talpidae. They are distributed mainly in southwestern China and adjacent Bhutan, Myanmar, and Vietnam. In June 2022, we collected five specimens of Uropsilus from Mount Huanggang, Jiangxi Province, eastern China, which is the highest peak of the Wuyi Mountains. We sequenced two mitochondrial ( CYT B and 12S rRNA ) and three nuclear ( PLCB4 , RAG1 , and RAG2 ) genes to estimate the phylogenetic relationship of the five shrew moles. We also compared their morphology with recognized species within the genus. Our results show that these specimens collected from Mount Huanggang differ from all named species in Uropsilus . We formally describe the species here as Uropsilus huanggangensis sp. nov. Morphologically, the new species is distinguishable from the other Uropsilus species by the combination of dark chocolate-brown pelage, long snout, enlarged first upper incisor, similarly sized lacrimal and infraorbital foramens, and the curved and sickle-like coronoid process. The genetic distances of the cytochrome b ( CYT B ) gene between U. huanggangensis and other recognized Uropsilus species ranged between 9.3% and 16.4%. The new species is geographically distant from other species in the genus and is the easternmost record of the Uropsilus . The divergence time of U. huanggangensis was estimated to be the late Pliocene (1.92 Ma, 95% CI = 0.88–2.99).
... These authors considered the Kerivoulidae to be a subfamily of the Vespertilionidae. McKenna and Bell (1997) placed Honrovits in the Natalidae sensu stricto, Stehlinia and Chamtwaria in the Vespertilionidae, and Ageina and Chadronycteris in Microchiroptera incertae sedis. Simmons and Geisler (1998) regarded Ageina, Chadronycteris, Honrovits, and Stehlinia as incertae sedis within the Nataloidea (they considered only Eocene forms and thus did not mention the Miocene Chamtwaria). ...
We describe a new extinct genus and species of bat belonging to the endemic Neotropical family Natalidae (Chiroptera) from the Thomas Farm Local Fauna in northern peninsular Florida of early Miocene age (18–19 million years old). The natalid sample from Thomas Farm consists of 32 fossils, including a maxillary fragment, periotics, partial dentaries, isolated teeth, humeri, and radii. A proximal radius of an indeterminate natalid is reported from the I-75 Local Fauna of early Oligocene age (about 30 million years old), also from northern Florida. These fossils from paleokarst deposits in Florida represent the 1st Tertiary records of the Natalidae. Other extinct Tertiary genera previously referred to the Natalidae, including Ageina, Chadronycteris, Chamtwaria, Honrovits, and Stehlinia, may belong to the superfamily Nataloidea but do not fit within our restricted definition of this family. Eight derived characters of the Natalidae sensu stricto are discussed, 5 of which are present in the new Miocene genus. Intrafamilial phylogenetic analysis by parsimony of the Natalidae suggests that the 3 living subgenera, Natalus (including N. major, N. stramineus, and N. tumidirostris), Chilonatalus (including C. micropus and C. tumidifrons), and Nyctiellus (including N. lepidus), deserve full generic rank. The Natalidae apparently evolved in North America before the late Oligocene, went extinct in what is now the Nearctic region (i.e., Florida) after the early Miocene, and survived in tropical Middle America during the remainder of the Tertiary. The presence of 2 endemic genera and 4 endemic species suggests that natalids reached the West Indies by overwater dispersal early in their history (Oligocene or Miocene). The lack of a Tertiary fossil record, marginal distribution, and limited species richness and endemism of natalids in South America are suggestive of a comparatively late arrival on that continent, possibly in the late Pliocene after the beginning of the Great American Faunal Interchange.
... The taxonomic position of Batodon is uncertain. Some authors refer it to Geolabididae, a group of insectivoran-grade crown placentals (Bloch et al., 1998;Gunnell et al., 2007;Krishtalka & West, 1979;Lopatin, 2004Lopatin, , 2006McKenna & Bell, 1997), others to Cimolestidae (Kielan-Jaworowska et al., 1979, 2004Lillegraven, 1969). To test the hypothesis on the phylogenetic ties of Bayshinoryctes and Batodon with Paleogene insectivoran-grade placentals we performed a phylogenetic analysis based on a recent data matrix focused on these taxa (Ting et al., 2023). ...
Bayshinoryctes shuvalovi gen. et sp. nov. is based on a fragmentary skull including right maxilla associated with right and left dentaries with partially preserved dentition from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian–Santonian) Bayinshire Formation at Bayshin Tsav locality in Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Undated Bayesian analyses of two different data matrices recover the new taxon as a stem placental mammal within the clade containing also Maelestes from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of Mongolia and Batodon from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of North America. Bayshinoryctes gen. nov. differs from Maelestes by a few dental characters, including three-rooted P4, double-rooted p3, and p5 with metaconid swelling.
... Os cingulatas alcançaram uma grande diversidade ao longo do Cenozoico, com representantes desde o Eoceno tardio até os dias de hoje, tendo mais de 200 espécies já descritas para os Glyptodontidae (McKenna & Bell, 1997;Carlini & Zurita, 2010;Zurita el al., 2016), constituindo o grupo de maior diversidade taxonômica. Dentre este número de espécies descritas, aproxi-madamente 30 táxons tiveram o padrão histológico de seus osteodermos analisados (Quadro 1), demonstrando que essas características são de extrema relevância para os estudos das relações evolutivas, além de fornecerem caracteres potencialmente diagnósticos a nível de espécie (Hill, 2006;Wolf ,2007;Krmpotic et al., 2009;Wolf et al., 2012;Da Costa Pereira et al., 2014). ...
Mesmo após milhões de anos de soterramento, muitos vertebrados ainda apresentam a estrutura histológica do tecido ósseo preservada. Aspectos ontogenéticos, reconheci-mento de feições fossildiagenéticas, aprimoramento de estudos sistemáticos e anatômi-cos são os principais pontos abordados pelos estudos paleohistológicos. Dentre os ver-tebrados, os grupos mais estudados por esta ótica foram os dinossauros, pterossauros, ictiossauros, crocodilomorfos, testudines, cinodontes e peixes, sendo ainda discretos os estudos realizados com mamíferos, especialmente os mamíferos com carapaça óssea. Este trabalho pretende reunir o conhecimento disponível acerca da histologia de osteo-dermos de mamíferos cingulados, de forma a apresentar um panorama dos trabalhos atuais e um ponto de partida para futuros trabalhos.
... Simons and Bown (1995) erected a new mammalian order, Ptolemaiida, for the family Ptolemaiidae and stated that it may trace its ancestry to Pantolesta but was sufficiently distinct from any other group of mammals to warrant separate ordinal status. Gagnon (1997) classed ptolemaiids as insectivores without discussion, while McKenna and Bell (1997) placed Ptolemaiidae in the order Cimolesta and suborder Pantolesta. Recently, Nishihara et al. (2005) have suggested that ptolemaiids, given their possible relationships with macroscelideans and tubulidentates, may ultimately be included in Afrotheria. ...
... In our list of types of Miocene vertebrates from the Española basin described by Cope, the species are listed in taxonomic order, with reptiles first (two tortoises), then a bird (vulture), followed by the mammals that make up the bulk of the list, with the taxonomic order of mammals following McKenna and Bell (1997) and Wilson and Reeder (2005). We provide the following information for each species. ...
Edward Drinker Cope (1840-1897) was the paleontologist on the Wheeler Survey that explored the New Mexico Territory in 1874. He collected a series of Miocene vertebrate fossils from badlands in northern New Mexico north of Santa Fe in the vicinity of the Native American pueblos of San Ildefonso and Pojoaque, from strata he called the “Santa Fé marls” and referred to the “Loup Fork Epoch.” Cope’s collection consisted of 34 species of Miocene vertebrates, including two tortoises, three birds, and 29 mammals. Cope stated that the absence of fish and crocodiles was a noteworthy feature of the fauna, with the lack of fish suggesting a marsh deposit rather than a lake deposit with permanent freshwater. In a series of short papers published in 1874 and 1875 in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and in two longer U. S. Government publications in 1875 and 1877, Cope described two new genera, the lagomorph Panolax and the camel Pliauchenia, and 18 new species of vertebrates from the Miocene of New Mexico: two tortoises; a bird; and 15 mammals, including a proboscidean, two rodents, a lagomorph, three carnivores, two perissodactyls, and six artiodactyls. Among these 18 species, 11 species are still considered valid, and 7 species have either been synonymized with previously described species or have been considered nomina dubia because they were based on nondiagnostic or indeterminate type specimens. We review Cope’s Miocene types from New Mexico, including the original citations, synonymies, status of the type specimens, current taxonomic status, and their geographic and stratigraphic provenance, and we present illustrations of the type material of each species.
... Computer-assisted phylogenetic analysis of some fossil and living phocids supports the monophyly of the family and rec¬ ognizes four principal clades, including the new subfamily Devinophocinae. This phylogenetic framework supports the classification used by Chapskii (1955Chapskii ( , 1974, Scheffer (1958), and Koretsky and Grigorescu (2002), and it conflicts with the various arrangements proposed by King (1966), Bums and Fay (1970), Wyss (1994), and McKenna and Bell (1997). We are reluctant to name a new higher-level taxon, but the very un¬ usual morphology of Devinophoca does not allow us to assign it to any known subfamily. ...
A well-preserved skull from the early middle Miocene (approximately 15 Ma) at Devinska Nova Ves (formerly Neudorf an der March), Slovakia, herein named Devinophoca claytoni , new genus and new species, is morphologically the closest common ancestor of all true seals. It shows a mixture of subfamilial characters. Features shared with Phocinae are the number of incisors and the lack of a strongly pronounced mastoid process. Characters similar to Monachinae are the shape of maxillae and the ratio between frontal and maxillary contacts of nasal bones. Characters shared with Cystophorinae are the ratio between interorbital width and mastoid width and (also shared with Phocinae) the ratio between length of auditory bullae and distance between them. Moreover, this skull has primitive features that are not known in any of the three subfamilies: Ml is triangular, with three cusps and three roots; in P2-P4 the larger posterior roots are clearly made up of two fused roots; the incisors form a curved line; the anterior palatal foramina are deep and oval; and the sagittal crest is very well developed. The traditional separation of the family Phocidae into the subfamilies Phocinae, Monachinae, and Cystophorinae has been intensively debated during the past 40 years and debate continues today, but we herein follow the traditional classification. The plesiomorphic D. claytoni is thus considered a sister taxon to the three extant subfamilies of Phocidae and is referred to a new subfamily, Devinophocinae. Because of its late age, D. claytoni cannot be ancestral to the more advanced phocids. Its primitive characters in combination with the characters it shares with the other subfamilies suggest, however, that it might approximate the common ancestral morphotype.
... They may have been closely related to arctocyonid 'condylarths' (Gazin, 1953;Szalay, 1977), or part of the larger group Cimolesta, within which they would have been closely related to pantodonts (McKenna & Bell, 1997;Rose, 2006). The relationship between pantodonts and tillodonts is supported by a uniquely shared feature: dilambdodont dentition (Chow & Wang, 1979;Gingerich & Gunnell, 1979;Lucas, 1993). ...
After successfully diversifying during the Paleocene, the descendants of the first
wave of mammals that survived the end-Cretaceous mass extinction waned throughout the Eocene. Competition with modern crown clades and intense climate fluctuations may have been part of the factors leading to the extinction of these archaic groups. Why these taxa went extinct has rarely been studied from the perspective of the nervous system. Here, we describe the first virtual endocasts for the archaic order Tillodontia. Three species from the middle Eocene of North America were analyzed: Trogosus hillsii, Trogosus grangeri, and Trogosus castoridens. We made morphological comparisons with the plaster endocast of another tillodont, Tillodon fodiens, as well as groups potentially related to Tillodontia: Pantodonta, Arctocyonidae, and Cimolesta. Trogosus shows very little inter-specific variation with the only potential difference being related to the fusion of the optic canal and sphenorbital fissure. Many ancestral features are displayed by Trogosus, including an exposed midbrain, small neocortex, orbitotemporal canal ventral to rhinal fissure, and a broad circular fissure. Potential characteristics that could unite Tillodontia with Pantodonta, and Arctocyonidae are the posterior position of cranial nerve V3 exit in relation to the cerebrum and the low degree of development of the subarcuate fossa. The presence of large olfactory bulbs and a relatively small neocortex are consistent with a terrestrial lifestyle. A relatively small neocortex may have put Trogosus at risk when competing with artiodactyls for potentially similar resources and avoiding predation from archaic carnivorans, both of which are known to have had larger relative brain and neocortex sizes in the Eocene. These factors may have possibly exacerbated the extinction of Tillodontia, which showed highly specialized morphologies despite the increase in climate fluctuations throughout the Eocene, before disappearing during the middle Eocene.
... We follow the general anatomical terminology of Burmeister (1870Burmeister ( -1874, Ameghino (1889), Castellanos (1942), Paula Couto (1957), Gillette & Ray (1981), Zurita (2007) and Krmpotic et al. (2009). Our systematic scheme follows McKenna & Bell (1997), Fernicola (2008), Zurita et al. (2013) and Gillette et al. (2016). Terminology for the dorsal carapace, caudal carapace and osteoderms is adapted from Krmpotic et al. (2009) andPorpino et al. (2014). ...
... Their anatomical uniqueness was probably related to an endemic evolution in an almost completely isolated South America, which was interrupted by the appearance of the Isthmus of Panama, a terrestrial bridge that fully connected both continents likely by 2.8 Ma (O'Dea et al., 2016; but see Montes et al., 2015 for an alternative view). SANUs are traditionally classified into five orders: Astrapotheria, Litopterna, Notoungulata, Pyrotheria and Xenungulata (McKenna & Bell, 1997). Among SANUs, litopterns are the most similar to extant ungulates in terms of dental, cranial, and postcranial proportions, presenting cursorial postcranial adaptations early in their evolutionary history (Scott, 1910;Croft et al., 2020). ...
Ever since the discovery of the first remains of Macrauchenia patachonica by Charles Darwin in 1834, this taxon has puzzled researchers with its peculiar anatomy. Being the best-known member of the family Macraucheniidae and with fossil records in extensive areas of South America between the Middle to Late Pleistocene/earliest Holocene, M. patachonica has been extensively studied over decades, and recently even included in molecular studies. However, there are some elements of its skeleton that have been inadvertently unstudied. One of these elements is the atlas of M. patachonica that due to a misidentification made 159 years ago by the prominent zoologist Hermann Burmeister, was not examined or illustrated by later researchers even with access to excellent specimens. Here, we describe and illustrate the atlas of M. patachonica for the first time, correcting Burmeister’s mistake. Overall, the anatomy of the atlas of M. patachonica is consistent with the anatomy of older macraucheniids. The atlas described by Burmeister as being M. patachonica probably corresponds to that of a bovid. It is noteworthy that most mounted skeletons of M. patachonica present today in museum exhibitions, display a correct atlas derived from a more complete specimen discovered ca. 1904 by the prominent palaeontologist Santiago Roth.
... Although relatively generalised, the specimen from Pan de Azúcar shares with other sternbergiids the presence of a welldeveloped paraconid, almost as large as the metaconid (especially similar to that of Carolopaulacoutoia McKenna and Bell 1997). It has a broader anterior cingulum on the m2, but narrower on the m3. ...
In this work, we present several new materials collected at the pink sandstone levels from the Las Flores Formation at the Cerro Pan de Azúcar (Gaiman, Chubut Province, Argentina) and compare them with taxa present in other localities of similar age. The Metatheria taxa described here are 1) the ‘Ameridelphia’ Sternbergiidae indet; 2) the Didelphimorphia Protodidelphis cf. mastodontoides and Guggenheimia glykeia sp. nov. (Protodidelphidae); 3) the Polydolopimorphia Pliodolops rothi and Pliodolops cf. kamektsen (Polydolopidae); and 4) the Microbiotheria Eomicrobiotherium diluculum sp. nov. (Microbiotheriidae). On
the other hand, the Cingulata Dasypodidae is represented by the Astegotheriini Prostegotherium astrifer. This fauna shares more species with those occurring in the localities from Paso del Sapo than with any other early – middle Eocene localities. However, at the generic level, it shares several taxa with the Itaboraian fauna from Sao José de Itaboraí. Finally, the faunal associations from Pan de Azúcar, Paso del Sapo, Cañadón Hondo, and Bajo de la Palangana could be, at least in part, synchronous, representing locally the Riochican SALMA, with an age spanning from 51 to 45 Ma (early Ypresian- early Lutetian).
... to the forested regions of its southern parts, Bihar harbors a diverse range of habitats that support a remarkable array of mammalian species.In recognition of its important position of harbouring diverse mammalian species, we attempt to update the list of mammalian species found in the The first complete systematic review of all mammals of the world was produced by (Trouessart, 1897(Trouessart, -1905, followed this many taxonomical researches have been conducted on mammal species of the world by (Simpson and Gaylord, 1945;Walker, 1964;Nowak, & 1999Sokolov, 1973-79;Corbett and Hill, 1980;McKenna and Bell, 1997) etc. In India, the classification of mammals was dealt by many authors such as fauna of British India-Mammalia (Pocock, 1939(Pocock, & 1941, checklist of Indian and Palaeartic mammals (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, 1951), book of Indian animals (Prater, 1971), Indo-malayan region mammals (Corbet and Hill, 1992), checklist of mammals of India (Alfred et. ...
Raoellid mammals are small artiodactyls from the Eocene of Asia, hypothesized to be closely related to stem Cetacea. Knowledge of the cranial and dental morphology of Raoellidae comes mostly from one species, Indohyus indirae. Here we describe new material of another raoellid genus, Khirtharia, based on material retrieved from the Kalakot area, Jammu and Kashmir. This new material, comprising an almost complete, lightly deformed cranium and a partial snout with associated partial mandible, greatly adds to our knowledge of raoellid morphology. It highlights the similarity of cranial characters with Indohyus, such as a long snout with raptorial incisors, a thick and narrow supraorbital region, a strong postorbital constriction, a triangular shaped braincase, and a thickened medial wall to the auditory bulla (involucrum). The new specimen is similar to Indohyus cranially but differs dentally in being more bunodont. The presence of these traits in two different raoellid genera suggests they may be present more broadly across Raoellidae. These characters are also observed in early cetaceans, highlighting the need to investigate their phylogenetic impact. Some cranial features support aquatic habits of members of this family.
Toxodontidae was an extinct family of South American notoungulates, widely studied systematically, but not so much from an ecological perspective. This work aims to improve the knowledge about variations in diet and habitats of different representatives of this group in the context of biotic and abiotic events throughout the last 20 My. The tooth enamel carbon isotope composition (δ 13 C) of 7 genera recorded in 11 localities of Central, West and Northeastern Argentina, from the Early Miocene to the Late Pleistocene, was analyzed. The diet of the toxodontids studied in this work range from mainly C 3 resources during the Miocene, mixed C 3 -C 4 in the Pliocene, to a significant consumption of C 4 plants during the Pleistocene. Differences in diet during the Late Pleistocene were also recorded, associated with geographic ( i.e ., Northeastern vs . Central) and temporal ( i.e ., glacial vs . interglacial periods) variations, evidencing the adaptive capacity of the group under ecological and environmental pressures.
Bats appear in the fossil record on multiple continents during the early Eocene. More than seventy Eocene bat species have been named to date, including stem bats, probable members of crown families, and others of uncertain affinity. Most phylogenetic analyses of Eocene bat relationships have focused on the handful of taxa known from nearly complete skeletal material, whereas the taxonomic relationships of more incomplete fossils have been based largely on phenetic similarities. Here we evaluate the evolutionary relationships of over 60 species of Eocene bats—including many taxa known only from fragmentary craniodental remains—in an explicitly phylogenetic context. Our analysis is based on nearly 700 morphological characters scored in 82 taxa, including 20 extant species representing all living bat families other than Pteropodidae. We found that phylogenetic relationships of Eocene bats are more complex than previously thought. Numerous families (e.g., †Archaeonycteridae, †Mixopterygidae, †Palaeochiropterygidae) and genera (e.g., †Archaeonycteris, †Icaronycteris, †Carcinipteryx) were found to be non-monophyletic as previously recognized, requiring adjustments to chiropteran taxonomy. Four major clades of stem bats were recovered in our analyses. †Microchiropteryx folieae (~ 54 Ma, India) was recovered as the earliest crown bat, occurring as the most basal lineage of Vespertilionoidea, whereas many putative crown bats were recovered among stem Chiroptera. †Tachypteron franzeni was found to be a crown bat in our analyses, as in previous studies, but it was recovered unexpectedly as a stem miniopterid. The phylogenetic relationships presented here represent the most comprehensive analysis of Eocene bat relationships completed to date, substantially improving our understanding of the position of many fossil taxa within Chiroptera and providing a foundation for future analyses of bat evolution.
A description of a new form of the small antelopes from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida cave in the Crimea is given. The new genus and species Tavridia gromovi was identified from a fragment of the skull roof with a horn core and the lower jaw. This small antelope differed from all known forms in the structural features of the horn cores and the dental system. According to the sum of characters, it is assigned to the tribe Antilopini (Eurasia and Africa, Middle Miocene to Recent). The discovery of T. gromovi in the Crimea testifies to the significant diversity of this group of antelopes in the middle of the Early Pleistocene.
Mammals can be defined as the least inclusive clade containing Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw in Nat Miscellany 10(118):7, 1799) and Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758. Mexico is the third country with the highest mammalian species richness in the world. Their fossil record in this megadiverse country spans from the Early Jurassic to the Late Pleistocene. Research of fossil mammals have been centered on taxonomy and until recently, some paleoecological and paleoenvironmental reconstructions have been published. In this chapter, some of the techniques of paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on fossil mammals are described (microwear, mesowear, stable isotope analysis, bioclimatic models, ecometric analyses, and mutual ecogeographic range) and some examples of their use with the Mexican record are provided. The extensive fossil record available for some geological epochs makes the Mexican mammals a rich source of paleoenvironmental data that needs to be further explored.
We reevaluate an accumulation of tiger(Panthera tigris)remains that was recovered from the Pleistocene 'Hamakita Man' site in Hanamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture during the mid-1900s. The most abundantly preserved elements include vertebrae, humeri, ulnae, radii, hemipelves, femora, tibiae, and calcanea, but crania, teeth, ribs, metacarpals, sesamoids, and phalanges are also present. The minimum number of individuals based on any single element is four; however, we interpret that the assemblage comprises at least eight adults and one juvenile. It is unclear whether the tiger remains are the same age as the human remains also preserved at the 'Hamakita Man' site owing to the possibility of time-averaging of sedimentation and/or the redeposition of previously deposited bones.
Significant investigators and aspects in the past century of insect paleontology are briefly reviewed. Despite the pervasive influence of the paleoentomologist Willi Hennig in systematic biology, the study of fossil insects remains more descriptive than most other paleontological areas. Hypotheses are reviewed on relationships and chronologies of early divergences in insects (Paleozoic, Lower Mesozoic), particularly living and extinct orders of the lower pterygotes and putative monophyly of the Paleoptera (Odonata + Ephemeroptera). The Dictyoptera (Mantodea, Isoptera, Blattaria) illustrate relationships and discrepencies between stratigraphic record and phylogenetic relationships. Future directions in the field are suggested.
The Klenová Cave was discovered and documented during a speleological survey of the Svarín Valley Karst (the Low Tatras Mts.). In newly discovered cave spaces the faunal osteological remains were found, mainly belonging to brown bears (Ursus arctos). Dentition analysis brought a new methodology for naming the bear age stages. Results of skeletal material examination point to the occurrence of at least 10 individuals within an assemblage with abnormal mortality. A detailed study of remains partially proved the direct interaction with human. Unanswered questions may be the subject of future zooarchaeological or ethnological research.
Submitted article presents the results of a new study of osteological remains from the Dúpnica Cave, an important archaeological site from the Western Tatras Mts. The faunal analysis is focused on the osteological record of Hanuliak´s collection from 1974, Laučík´s collection from 1990, Šimková´s collection from 2013 and from a new zooarchaeological research in 2017. The results document a faunal assemblage from the Early and Late Iron Age (Hallstatt and La Tène culture). Domestic adult specimens dominated within the assemblage. Marks of human activity were found on the bones. Human settlements took probably short-term as well as long-term period and the cave served probably for various purposes during different stages of its use. Cult use of the cave is not excluded from its practical use.
Two partial vertebrae of the rare, large-bodied, aquatic salamander Batrachosauroides are reported from the Upper Miocene Love Bone Bed (late Clarendonian, ~10–9 Ma) Alachua County, Florida. They represent the latest occurrence of Batrachosauroides by 2.8–5.8 million years from previous records and are the latest account of the family Batrachosauroididae in the eastern United States, being either younger than or approximately coeval with fossils of Peratosauroides problematica from the Clarendonian San Pablo Formation of central California. While most Neogene Batrachosauroides in North America are from the
warm interval spanning the Late Oligocene Warming (LOW) to the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO), this is the first unequivocal account well after the conclusion of the MMCO suggesting Florida was a post-MMCO refugium during global cooling in the Late Miocene. Batrachosauroides vertebrae from the late Hemingfordian Suwannee Springs site (Florida) and the late Barstovian Gragg Mine
(southwestern Georgia) are also described. Two other caudate taxa are present at the Love Bone Bed, Ambystoma and a mid-sized Siren that is the most common amphibian in the Love Bone Bed Local Fauna. The presence and rarity of Ambystoma further corroborates the existence of peripheral or seasonal lentic
aquatic habitats adjacent to the main lotic body of the Love Bone Bed deposit. Other salamanders from the paleocoastal Gragg Mine Local Fauna include Notophthalmus and Amphiuma n. sp., aff. Amphiuma pholeter. The latter represents the oldest record of the A. pholeter lineage and documents its presence in the Gulf Coastal Plain since the Middle Miocene. The Gragg Mine represents a unique interval in the southeast at the conclusion of the MMCO.
Two partial vertebrae of the rare, large-bodied, aquatic salamander Batrachosauroides are reported from the Upper Miocene Love Bone Bed (late Clarendonian, ~10–9 Ma) Alachua County, Florida. They represent the latest occurrence of Batrachosauroides by 2.8–5.8 million years from previous records and are the latest account of the family Batrachosauroididae in the eastern United States, being either younger than or approximately coeval with fossils of Peratosauroides problematica from the Clarendonian San Pablo Formation of central California. While most Neogene Batrachosauroides in North America are from the
warm interval spanning the Late Oligocene Warming (LOW) to the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO), this is the first unequivocal account well after the conclusion of the MMCO suggesting Florida was a post-MMCO refugium during global cooling in the Late Miocene. Batrachosauroides vertebrae from the late Hemingfordian Suwannee Springs site (Florida) and the late Barstovian Gragg Mine
(southwestern Georgia) are also described. Two other caudate taxa are present at the Love Bone Bed, Ambystoma and a mid-sized Siren that is the most common amphibian in the Love Bone Bed Local Fauna. The presence and rarity of Ambystoma further corroborates the existence of peripheral or seasonal lentic
aquatic habitats adjacent to the main lotic body of the Love Bone Bed deposit. Other salamanders from the paleocoastal Gragg Mine Local Fauna include Notophthalmus and Amphiuma n. sp., aff. Amphiuma pholeter. The latter represents the oldest record of the A. pholeter lineage and documents its presence in
the Gulf Coastal Plain since the Middle Miocene. The Gragg Mine represents a unique interval in the southeast at the conclusion of the MMCO.
The systematic scientific research of the Domica Cave and its vicinity started at the end of 2017 and gained a series of new results. The locality was mapped using terrestrial laser scanning to obtain high-resolution cave geometry. Previously unknown cave passage was detected during systematic exploration of the cave system. Discovered place was named as "Kľúčová dierka" (Keyhole), which through a small tunnel proceeds to a rising chimney system. Numerous osteological material was found in fallen rubble and muddy red sediment within chimneys. Confirmed fauna, typical for the so-called "Mammoth Steppe", consists of at least 13 species, including cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), steppe bison (Bison priscus), wild horse (Equus ex gr. ferus), woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) and woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). Radiocarbon dating 14C provided data from 40,863 to 37,479 calBC, that correspond with the Hengelo interstadial. The ecological needs of identified taxa in conjunction with results of 15N and 13C isotope analyses point to an assemblage that lived in an open steppe to forest-steppe environment with a presence of water source in vicinity. The study of cave sediments indicates same origin of sediment that filled all chimney areas. Red clayey cave sediments contain also fragments of iron-bearing and sandy crusts, coming from fossil soil (terra rossa) of karst surface. Perimortal and postmortem characters that could be caused by human activity were found on the studied bones. Although no archeological artefacts were recovered during current survey, the obtained knowledge definitely encourages to continue with research.
2006-2013 yılları arasında gerçekleştirilmiş olan bu projede Çankırı-Çorum Tersiyer Havzasında Kırıkkale-Sungurlu-Kızılırmak üçgeni içinde yüzlek veren denizel ve karasal Paleojen çökellerin jeolojik özellikleri incelenmiş ve bu çökellerden omurgalı ve omurgasız fosillere ilişkin paleontolojik veriler elde edilmiştir. Çalışma alanı olarak bu bölgenin seçilmiş olmasının başlıca nedeni, Türkiye’de bugüne dek çok az bilinen Oligosen yaşlı omurgalı faunalarını içeren fosil yataklarının bulunmuş olmasıdır. Çalışma alanındaki Bartoniyen-Priaboniyen yaşlı denizel çökellerin üzerinde uyumsuz olarak karasal ortamlarda çökelmiş Oligosen-Pleyistosen yaşlı tortul istifler yer almaktadır. Bölgedeki karasal Oligosen yaşlı çökeller üç formasyon halinde ayırt edilmiştir; bunlar alttan üste doğru İncik, Güvendik ve Kızılırmak formasyonlarıdır (Karadenizli vd., 2004, 2009). Adı geçen formasyonlar bu bölgede geniş yüzlekler verir. Arazinin nispeten çıplak ve engebeli olması nedeniyle yüzlek olanakları oldukça fazladır. Bu da jeolojik gözlemler ve fosil arama faaliyetleri için büyük kolaylıklar sağlar.
Projenin önemli bir kısmını oluşturan ve aynı zamanda projeye adını veren Baluchitherium cins adı altında bilinen dev gergedanlar bugüne dek kara üzerinde yaşamış en büyük memeli hayvanlardır. Bu cinse katılan türlerin erkek fertlerinde omuz yüksekliği 5 metrenin üstünde olabilir, ağırlıkları da on tondan fazladır.
Baluchitherium (=Paraceratherium) ve ona eş değer olarak kabul edilen Indricotherium cinsleri Oligosen döneminde Moğolistan, Çin, Orta Asya ve Hint Yarımadası’nda nispeten yaygın olarak bilinirler. Gürcistan ve Balkanlar’da da dev gergedanların yaşadığı birkaç nadir fosille kanıtlanmıştır. Türkiye’de ise ilk buluntu 2002 yılında Çankırı-Çorum Havzası’nda Kırıkkale-Delice İlçesi yakınlarında bulunan bir ön kol kemiği parçasıdır. Dev gergedan Türkiye’de bugüne kadar sadece Çankırı-Çorum ve Tuzluca (Iğdır) havzalarında bulunmuştur. Bu veriler Anadolu’nun Oligosen’de Asya’nın orta ve güney bölgeleri ile bağlantılı olup benzer ortam ve iklim koşullarını taşıdığını göstermektedir (Oyal vd., 2014 a,b,c; Oyal vd., 2016 a,b; Oyal, 2016).
Baluchitherium’un içinde bulunduğu Paraceratheriinae alt ailesi, Orta Eosen-Oligosen zaman aralığında özellikle Asya’da yaşamıştır. Eosen’de yaşamış türlerde omuz yüksekliği 3 metreyi geçmez, zira hepsi nispeten kapalı ormanlık alanlarda yaşamış türlerdir.
i
Boy artması Oligosen’de ortamın daha açık ve seyrek ağaçlı olmasıyla başlar ve özellikle Paraceratherium ve Dzungariotherium cinslerinde görülür. Diş yapıları yaprak ve dallar yiyerek beslenmeye uyumludur (Oyal vd., 2014 a, b, c; Oyal, 2016).
2006-2013 yılları arasında MTA ve Paris Tabiat Tarihi Müzesi elemanlarından oluşan bir ekip proje kapsamında Çankırı-Çorum Havzası’nda yaygın yüzlekler veren Kızılırmak Formasyonu içerisinde dev gergedan ile ona eşlik eden omurgalı ve omurgasız fauna üzerine araştırmalar yapmıştır. Bu formasyon içinde Paraceratherium fosillerini içeren zengin yataklar bulunmuştur. Henüz tanımlanmamış bir Paraceratherium türüne ait birçok ferdin iskeletinin hemen hemen bütün kemikleri toplanmıştır. Toplanan fosillerin bir kısmı MTA Tabiat Tarihi Müzesinde sergilenmektedir, bir kısmı ise Müze arşivinde koruma altına alınmıştır (Oyal vd., 2014 a,b,c; Oyal vd., 2016 a,b; Oyal, 2016). Paraceratherium ile aynı ortamda yaşamış daha küçük boyutlu gergedanlardan Aprotodon ve Protaceratherium, Anthracotheriidae ailesinden olan küçük su aygırı yapısındaki Elomeryx, sırtlanımsı bir etobur, küçük boyutlu otoburlar, kirpi, fare-sincap ve tavşan gibi mikro memeliler ile bir timsah türüne, kara ve tatlı su kaplumbağalarına ait buluntular Kızılırmak Formasyonu’nun oldukça zengin bir omurgalı faunasına sahip olduğunu göstermektedir (Antoine vd. 2008; Oyal vd., 2014 c; Oyal, 2016).
Elde edilen fauna ve yapılan kronoloji çalışmaları önceden Geç Miyosen olarak bilinen Kızılırmak Formasyonu’nun Geç Oligosen yaşta olduğunu ortaya koymuştur (Oyal vd., 2014 a, b, c; Oyal, 2016).
Propalaehoplophorus is an Early Miocene genus of glyptodonts, a group of extinct armored mammals closely related to armadillos and endemic to South America. Here, we present the first digital reconstruction of the endocranial cavity of the glyptodont Propalaehoplophorus australis and compare it to endocasts of Late Miocene and Pleistocene glyptodonts, pampatheres, and extant armadillos. Propalaehoplophorus australis shares exclusively with other glyptodonts the neocortical sulcation pattern and cranial nerve (CN) V3 pathway. It also shares with both other glyptodonts and pampatheres the rhinal fissure trajectory, small piriform lobe, marked dorsal expansion of neocortical fronto-parietal region, conspicuous thickness of superior longitudinal sinus, and presence of a well-marked lateral sulcus and medial shape of petrosal bone; this last trait is also observable in Chlamyphorus. The olfactory bulbs of Pr. australis, Holmesina, and Pampatherium are anteriorly elongated and partially laterally divergent as in the glyptodont Pseudoplohophorus absolutus. Other features, like the globular proximal shape of olfactory peduncles, topological arrangement of CNs IX-XII, differentiated petrosal lobule of paraflocculus, and orientation of spinal cord are shared among Pr. australis, Ps. absolutus, pampatheres, and extant armadillos. The similarities between Pr. australis, remaining glyptodonts, and pampatheres could be synapomorphies of pampatheres + glyptodonts. By contrast, Pr. australis, pampatheres, and all the analyzed armadillos share the same configuration of the pathway of CNs IX-XII, a feature that could support the basal position of Pr. australis among glyptodonts for which cranial remains are known. In this context, the brain cavity seems to be a promising source of information for revealing the evolutionary history of this mammalian clade.
The Campisano Ravine in the Ribesalbes-Alcora Basin (Spain, Early Miocene, Biozone C, MN 4) yielded a highly diverse and abundant assemblage of dormice, composed by sixteen taxa belonging to nine different genera, detailed as follows: three species of the genus Microdyromys De Bruijn, 1966 (M. legidensis Daams, 1981, M. koenigswaldi De Bruijn, 1966, and M. aff. monspeliensis Aguilar, 1977), we extend here the stratigraphic range of M. aff. monspeliensis; two taxa of Prodryomys De Bruijn, 1966 (P. aff. satus Mayr, 1979, and P. aff. remmerti Aguilar & Lazzari, 2006), we increase here the known stratigraphic distribution of P. aff. satus and report for the first time P. aff. remmerti in the Iberian Peninsula and biozone MN4; Bransatoglis cf. infralactorensis Baudelot & Collier, 1982, which we found for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula; two species of the genus Peridyromys Stehlin & Schaub, 1951: P. murinus (Pomel, 1853), the most common dormouse in the basin and P. darocensis Daams, 1999, with its youngest known record; Pseudodryomys ibericus De Bruijn, 1966, less abundant here than in other similar sites; three species of the genus Simplomys: S. simplicidens (De Bruijn, 1966), the most abundant representant of this genus in this basin, S. julii (Daams, 1989), more common than expected for the Iberian Peninsula, and the least frequent S. meulenorum García-Paredes, Peláez-Campomanes & Álvarez-Sierra, 2009; Armantomys aragonensis De Bruijn, 1966, scarcer here than in other Iberian basins; two species of the genus Glirudinus: the largest and rarest G. undosus Mayr, 1979, and the smaller, more common but occurring only in the second local area Cb G. modestus (Dehm, 1950); and finally, Myoglis cf. antecedens Mayr, 1979, which is cited for the first time in the basin. Additionally, the palaeoecological significance of this assemblage is discussed.
Ils sont partout! L'exceptionnelle biodiversité des loirs au Miocène inférieur du bassin de Ribesalbes-Alcora (Espagne).
Le ravin de Campisano dans le bassin de Ribesalbes-Alcora (Espagne, Miocène inférieur, Biozone C, MN 4) a donné un assemblage très diversifié et abondant de loirs, composé de seize taxons appartenant à neuf genres différents, détaillés comme suit: trois espèces du genre Microdyromys De Bruijn, 1966 (M. legidensis Daams, 1981, M. koenigswaldi De Bruijn, 1966, et M. aff. monspeliensis Aguilar, 1977), nous étendons ici l'extension stratigraphique de M. aff. monspeliensis; deux taxons de Prodryomys De Bruijn, 1966 (P. aff. satus Mayr, 1979, et P. aff. remmerti Aguilar & Lazzari, 2006), nous augmentons ici la distribution stratigraphique connue de P. aff. satus et rapportons pour la première fois P. aff. remmerti dans la péninsule ibérique et la biozone MN4; Bransatoglis cf. infralactorensis Baudelot & Collier, 1982, que nous avons trouvé pour la première fois dans la péninsule ibérique; deux espèces du genre Peridyromys Stehlin & Schaub, 1951: P. murinus (Pomel, 1853), le loir le plus commun du bassin et P. darocensis Daams, 1999, avec son plus jeune signalement connu; Pseudodryomys ibericus De Bruijn, 1966, moins abondant ici que dans d'autres sites similaires; trois espèces du genre Simplomys: S. simplicidens (De Bruijn, 1966), le représentant le plus abondant de ce genre dans ce bassin, S. julii (Daams, 1989), plus commun que prévu pour la péninsule ibérique, et le moins fréquent S. meulenorum García-Paredes, Peláez-Campomanes & Álvarez-Sierra, 2009; Armantomys aragonensis De Bruijn, 1966, plus rare ici que dans d'autres bassins ibériques; deux espèces du genre Glirudinus: le plus grand et le plus rare G. undosus Mayr, 1979, et la plus petite, plus commune mais présente uniquement dans la deuxième zone locale Cb G. modestus (Dehm, 1950); et enfin, Myoglis cf. antecedens Mayr, 1979, qui est citée pour la première fois dans le bassin. En outre, la signification paléo-écologique de cet assemblage est discutée.
Nyctitheres are a diverse Paleogene group of insectivorous mammals from Asia, North America, and Europe. Known mostly from their relatively unspecialized tribosphenic dentitions, various taxa currently placed in the family Nyctitheriidae have previously been considered to belong to such disparate extinct eutherian families as Leptictidae and Adapisoriculidae, and some have even been considered to be early bats. Here we describe a large collection of nyctitheres from the late Paleocene (early Clarkforkian) of Big Multi Quarry in Sweetwater County, Wyoming,
USA, representing the most diverse faunal assemblage of nyctitheres currently known. Big Multi Quarry is unique among currently known Clarkforkian sites because of its excellent preservation of microvertebrates, including hundreds of specimens belonging to Eulipotyphla, Primatomorpha, Metatheria, and Multituberculata. The Big Multi fauna includes at least eight species of nyctitheres and preserves the earliest
known occurrences of the genera Ceutholestes Rose and Gingerich, 1987, and Plagioctenoides Bown, 1979, as well as additional specimens belonging to the species Limaconyssus habrus Gingerich, 1987, and Wyonycteris chalix Gingerich, 1987. New species of nyctitheres from this fauna include: Ceutholestes acerbus, new species; Plagioctenoides cryptos, new species; Plagioctenodon dawsonae, new species; and Plagioctenodon goliath, new species. This large sample of nyctitheres enhances our knowledge of the anatomy of several poorly known taxa including those comprising the subfamily Placentidentinae, for which we provide an emended diagnosis.
Bamboo rats and their allies (Family Rhizomyidae) are a group of large-sized rodents that is adapted to a fossorial life and now occurs in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and South China. In East Asia, including South China, the group consists mostly of the genus Rhizomys throughout the Quaternary. In addition to its present-day distribution, we here present a distribution map of Pleistocene fossils of the genus in East Asia with data sources on which the map is based. The map shows that Early Pleistocene fossils of the genus are known from a limited number of localities mostly in South China. Middle and Late Pleistocene fossils are recorded from many more localities, which are also placed mostly in South China. The genus can be regarded as one of the most representative elements, as Stegodon orientalis, in the Middle and Late Pleistocene faunas of South China. In contrast to South China, fossils of the genus are almost unknown in the Quaternary of North China. Furthermore, they are missing in Quaternary fossil records of Northeast China, the Korean Peninsula, Honshu-Shikoku-Kyushu, the Ryukyu Islands, and Taiwan; thus the distribution of the genus has been limited almost entirely to South China during the Quaternary. Fossil records of S. orientalis indicate that this species immigrated from South China to Honshu-Shikoku-Kyushu in the Middle Pleistocene, whereas Rhizomys did not migrate from South China in association with S. orientalis.
With their past and current diversities, West Indian caviomorph rodents dominate the terrestrial mammalian fauna of the Caribbean archipelago. Many of these species have recently become extinct, including the emblematic giant forms known as Heptaxodontidae. The higher-level systematics and content of this family have been widely disputed over the last decades (i.e., membership in Cavioidea vs. Chinchilloidea vs. Octodontoidea). Here we analyzed the phylogenetic signal provided by several characters of the caviomorph inner ear to adress the phylogenetic affinities of the West Indian heptaxodontids. For this, we assembled an exhaustive taxonomic sampling (N = 100) of extant North and South American caviomorphs (including representatives of all families) and a wide array of West Indian forms among octodontoid echimyids (extant and extinct capromyines, as well as extinct heteropsomyines), and some heptaxodontid subfossil taxa such as Amblyrhiza, Clidomys, and Elasmodontomys. Geometric morphometrics and comparative phylogenetic methods were employed to explore shape differences of the inner ear and their potential systematic implications. Our results show that: (1) allometry is a major contributor to shape variation in the bony labyrinth; (2) shape variation bears a strong phylogenetic signal, providing diagnostic characters for Caviidae and Erethizontoidea; and (3) Amblyrhiza and Clidomys are morphologically closer to Chinchilloidea with which they have potential phylogenetic affinities. Elasmodontomys remains a problematic taxon as it exhibits inner ear features that are consistent with either Chinchilloidea or Octodontoidea, depending on how the allometric component is evaluated.
Cingulata (Mammalia, Xenarthra) is one of the most conspicuous clades in the Cenozoic fossil record of South America, largely due to the high abundance of disarticulated osteoderms in most fossiliferous sites of the continent. Nevertheless, the fragmentary nature of this material hinders the identification of extinct taxa, particularly in groups that do not exhibit great shape diversity in the ornamentation of the osteoderms, as occurs in armadillos of the clade Dasypodini (long-nosed armadillos). Methodologies that quantify shape variability could offer an alternative strategy for identifying these fragmentary fossil remains. In the present study, we apply geometric morphometric analysis to assess shape variation of Dasypodini osteoderms. First, we evaluate previous referrals of two isolated late Miocene osteoderms to Dasypus, one identified as Dasypus sp. from the Guanaco Formation (Jujuy province, Argentina) and the other identified as D. neogaeus from the Ituzaingó Formation (Entre Ríos province, Argentina). Second, we evaluate the identification of a disarticulated osteoderm from the middle Miocene of Brazil to Anadasypus sp. nov.?. Our results distinguish two main generic clusters, Plesiodasypus + Anadasypus and Dasypus + Propraopus, supporting previous referral of disarticulated osteoderms from Jujuy and Entre Ríos to the genus Dasypus. This confirms the extension of the biochron of Dasypus by at least 3 million years, from the early Pliocene to the late Miocene. The present contribution offers a new application for geometric morphometrics to evaluate taxonomic assignments of fossil Dasypodini osteoderms.
Allotheria are an extinct group of mammaliaforms that originally comprised multituberculates, to which ‘haramiyidans’ and gondwanatherians were later added. Phylogenetic relationships of allotherians have remained controversial since the first reports of the allotherian fossils in the 1800s. Here we report a new euharamiyidan based on a skeletal specimen from the Jurassic Daohugou phase of the Yanliao Biota, China. The superb specimen preserves impressions of differentiated hairs. The pes with impressions of toe skin and claw sheath represents the first such evidence in Mesozoic mammaliamorphs. The remarkable tooth morphologies surpass in complexity any Mesozoic mammals previously known. Phylogenetic analyses place the new species within euharamiyidans from Eurasia and support euharamiyidans, multituberculates, and gondwanatherians as a tripartite monophyletic Allotheria within mammals. This clade is supported not only by their similar molar pattern, but also by many shared derived features of the dental system recognized from discoveries during the last two decades. Allotherians and therians represent the two most successful groups of mammals that are characterized by distinct dental systems. They originated at the latest in the Late Triassic and became diversified in the Middle Jurassic, representing two directions of ecomorphological adaptation during early evolution of mammals.
Metatherians represented the most diverse group of Paleogene mammals of South America. The early Eocene metatherian fauna of Itaboraí, Brazil, was one of the most prominent. This fauna preserved a great diversity of tiny and very small insectivore assemblages, specialized durophagous, and brachydont-bunodont metatherians and is represented by 29 genera and 39 species, which are tooth-based taxa. The fauna preserved the oldest confirmed representatives of Didelphimorphia, as well as possible stem-Paucituberculata, but with no confirmed Australidelphia. Furthermore, the probable presence of the North American Late Cretaceous groups in the fauna, such as Pediomyoidea, Hatcheriformes, and Stagodontidae is also discussed. Sparassodonts, such as Patene, represented the top mammalian predators of the fauna. The large variety of Itaboraian “ameridelphians” includes, among others, “peradectoids,” caroloameghinioids, jaskhadelphyids, and sternbergiids, which represented earlier metatherian clades than the marsupials. Polydolopimorphians were represented by Epidolops, the most abundant metatherian of this fauna, and Gashternia. Caroloameghinioids should not be assigned to Didelphimorphia, and is here regarded as “peradectoids.” Derorhynchidae was the sister taxon of Herpetotheriidae. The reassessment of the eight petrosal morphotypes recovered in Itaboraí supports the common origin for the majority of South American clades and has enabled their reassessment to representatives of this fauna.
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