Project 675: S. P. Zack, T. A. Penkrot, J. I. Bloch, K. D. Rose. 2005. Affinities of 'hyopsodontids' to elephant shrews and a Holarctic origin of Afrotheria. Nature. 434 (7032):497-501.
Specimen: † Haplomylus speirianus (USNM:493902)
View: Dorsal

Abstract

Macroscelideans (elephant shrews or sengis) are small-bodied (25-540 g), cursorial (running) and saltatorial (jumping), insectivorous and omnivorous placental mammals represented by at least 15 extant African species classified in four genera. Macroscelidea is one of several morphologically diverse but predominantly African placental orders classified in the superorder Afrotheria by molecular phylogeneticists. The distribution of modern afrotheres, in combination with a basal position for Afrotheria within Placentalia and molecular divergence-time estimates, has been used to link placental diversification with the mid-Cretaceous separation of South America and Africa. Morphological phylogenetic analyses do not support Afrotheria and the fossil record favours a northern origin of Placentalia. Here we describe fossil postcrania that provide evidence for a close relationship between North American Palaeocene-Eocene apheliscine 'hyopsodontid' 'condylarths' (early ungulates or hoofed mammals) and extant Macroscelidea. Apheliscine postcranial morphology is consistent with a relationship to other ungulate-like afrotheres (Hyracoidea, Proboscidea) but does not provide support for a monophyletic Afrotheria. As the oldest record of an afrothere clade, identification of macroscelidean relatives in the North American Palaeocene argues against an African origin for Afrotheria, weakening support for linking placental diversification to the break-up of Gondwana.


Read the article »

Project DOI: 10.7934/P675, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P675
This project containsMatrices
  • 1 Media
  • 1 Matrix
  • 1 Document
  • 17 Taxa
  • 1 Specimen
  • 52 Characters
Total size of project's media files: 266.92k

Download Project SDD File
Total scored cells: 831
Total media associated with cells: 0
Total labels associated with cell media: 0
Characters
Total characters: 52
Total characters with associated media: 0
Total characters with media with labels: 0
Total character states: 131
Total character states with associated media: 0
Total character states with media with labels:0
Total unordered/ordered characters:52/0
Currently Viewing:
MorphoBank Project 675

    Authors' Institutions

    • University of Florida

    • Johns Hopkins University



    Members

    member name taxa specimens media chars character
    media
    labels
    cell scorings
    (scored, NPA, "-")
    cell
    medialabels
    rules
    MorphoBank Curator
    Project Administrator
    1110000
    (0, 0, 0)
    000
    Maureen Admin
    Full membership
    0000000
    (0, 0, 0)
    000
    Shawn Zack
    Full membership
    16005200831
    (807, 0, 24)
    000


    Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M1548' (16 Taxa)

    taxon unscored
    cells
    scored
    cells
    no cell
    support
    NPA
    cells
    "-" cellscell images labels on
    cell images
    member
    access
    [1] † Protungulatum donnae
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [2] † Hyopsodus spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [3] † Apheliscus spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    1515100003
    [4] † Haplomylus spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [5] † Paschatherium spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [6] † Mithrandir gillianus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [7] † Chriacus gallinae
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0515101003
    [8] † Ectocion spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [9] † Tetraclaenodon puercensis
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    03838014003
    [10] † Claenodon spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [11] † Diacodexis secans
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003
    [12] † "Hyracotherium" spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0505002003
    [13] † Molinodus suarezi
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0474705003
    [14] † Dissacus spp.
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0515101003
    [15] Macroscelidea
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0515101003
    [16] Hyracoidea
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0525200003


    Project views

    type number of views Individual items viewed (where applicable)
    Total project views34167
    Project overview3605
    Matrix views2725Matrix landing page (2397 views); Zack et al 2005 afrothere matrix (328 views);
    Media views6513Media search (5489 views); M102600 (1024 views);
    Specimen list3075
    Taxon list12640
    Documents list1835
    Bibliography1937
    Views for media list1837




    Project downloads

    type number of downloads Individual items downloaded (where applicable)
    Total downloads from project325
    Matrix downloads15Zack et al 2005 afrothere matrix (15 downloads);
    Project downloads310