Protomamíferos Y Mamíferos Mesozoicos De América Del Sur

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Protomamíferos Y Mamíferos Mesozoicos De América Del Sur José F. Bonaparte - Laura A. Migale PROTOMAMÍFEROS Y MAMÍFEROS MESOZOICOS de América del Sur Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales “Carlos Ameghino” Mercedes - Buenos Aires -Argentina PROTOMAMÍFEROS Y MAMÍFEROS MESOZOICOS de América del Sur PROTOMAMÍFEROS Y MAMÍFEROS MESOZOICOS de América del Sur José F. Bonaparte Laura A. Migale PROTOMAMÍFEROS Y MAMÍFEROS MESOZOICOS de América del Sur Autores: José F. Bonaparte y Laura A. Migale. Diseño gráfico: Mariano Masariche. Ilustración de tapa: Jorge Blanco. Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropológicas CEBBAD - Instituto Superior de Investigaciones - Universidad Maimónides Hidalgo 775 P. 7º - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (54) 11-4905-1100 int. 1228 / www.fundacionazara.org.ar Tercera edición Impreso en Argentina - 2015 Se ha hecho el depósito que marca la ley 11.723. No se permite la reproducción parcial o total, el almacenamiento, el alquiler, la transmisión o la transformación de este libro, en cualquier forma o por cualquier medio, sea electrónico o mecánico, mediante fotocopias, digitalización u otros métodos, sin el permiso previo y escrito del editor. Su infracción está penada por las leyes 11.723 y 25.446. El contenido de este libro es responsabilidad de su autor. Bonaparte, José Fernando, Protomamíferos mesozoicos de América del Sur / Bonaparte, José Fernando ; Laura Migale. - 3a ed ampliada. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires : Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara, 2015. 254 p. ; 24 x 17 cm. ISBN 978-987-3781-25-4 1. Paleontología. I. Migale, Laura II. Título CDD 560 PLRÓ OGO Esta nueva edición tiene dos motivaciones trascendentes para los temas paleobioló- gicos tratados que nos han parecido indispensables incorporarlos para mantener actua- lizadas las interpretaciones sobre el origen de los mamíferos ocurrido a fines del Triá- sico Superior y también incorporar descubrimientos recientes de nuevos mamíferos cretácicos de Patagonia. En el primer tema las revisiones recientes sobre los pequeños “protomamíferos” Brasilodontidae han modificado substancialmente interpretaciones anteriores sobre el supuesto grupo ancestral a los más antiguos mamíferos, lo cual ha jerarquizado aún más la compleja importancia filogenética del registro terápsidos sud- americanos relacionados, de una manera u otra al surgimiento de los mamíferos, tema en el cual los paleontólogos argentinos y brasileños han logrado comunicar hallazgos e interpretaciones de notable significación para este importante tema señalado. En cuanto a los mamíferos cretácicos se han producido algunos estudios sobre ha- llazgos no señalados en la primera edición de este libro, especialmente de un notable mamífero del Cenomaniano (Cretácico Superior de Río Negro), descubierto por el no- table sabueso paleontológico Dr. Sebastián Apesteguía y colaboradores en 2008 y recién publicado con toda la pompa editorial que merece ese notable espécimen por Guiller- mo Rougier y colaboradores en Nature (2011). Sin dudas este notable mamífero amplia el registro mamaliano del Cretácico Supe- rior hacia niveles previos a los mamíferos de Los Alamitos y de La Colonia con lo cual se vislumbra el comienzo de una secuencia biocronológica que ampliará en pocos años el historial mamaliano en estas latitudes del ex supercontinente de Gondwana. Finalmente los nuevos hallazgos del área jurásica de Cerro Cóndor en la Provincia de Chubut aportan muchas complejas evidencias para ser desarrolladas paso a paso por nuestros paleontólogos. También un notable hallazgo extra sudamericano realizado en el Cretácico Superior de Madagascar, lo citamos brevemente por su eventual significación paleobiogeográ- fica para evaluar mejor la historia biológica de los mamíferos del Cretácico Superior sudamericano. José F. Bonaparte ÍNDICE 7 CAPÍTULO 1 AnTECEDENTES GENERALES 17 CAPÍTULO 2 INTRODUCCIÓN A LOS PROTOMAMÍFEROS 21 CAPÍTULO 3 CINODONTES ANCESTRALES 27 CAPÍTULO 4 SUBCLADO GOMPHODONTA, FAMILIA TRAVERSODONTIDAE Y DIADEMODONTIDAE 45 CAPÍTULO 5 EL SUBCLADO GALESAURIA. SUS REPRESENTANTES EN AMÉRICA DEL SUR 59 CAPÍTULO 6 SUBCLADO BRASILODONTA: THITHELEDONTA (IN PART.) KEMP, 2005. LOS “ICTIDOSAURIA” 69 CAPÍTULO 7 CINODONTES TENTATIVAMENTE BRASILODONTIDAE 75 CAPÍTULO 8 SUBCLADO BRASILODONTA. FAMILIA BRASILODONTIDAE 91 CAPÍTULO 9 LA CAJA CEREBRAL DE Brasilitherium riograndensis 105 CAPÍTULO 10 LOS MAMÍFERAS JURÁSICOS DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR 111 CAPÍTULO 11 LOS MAMÍFEROS CRETÁCICOS DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR. CRETÁCICO INF. Vinceleste neuquenianus 131 CAPÍTULO 12 LOS MAMÍFEROS DEL CRETÁCICO SUPERIOR DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR 149 CAPÍTULO 13 MAMÍFEROS DE LOS ÓRDENES TRICONODONTA Y SYMMETRODONTA 163 CAPÍTULO 14 LOS MAMÍFEROS MERIDIOLESTIDA DEL CRETÁCICO SUPERIOR DE PATAGONIA 187 CAPÍTULO 15 ORDEN MERIDIOLESTIDA? FAMILIA? CASAMIQUELIDAE BONAPARTE 2002 195 CAPÍTULO 16 COMENTARIOS MÁS DESTACADOS 203 CAPÍTULO 17 LAS EXPLORACIONES 213 BIBLIOGRAFÍA PROTOMAMÍFEROS Y MAMÍFEROS MESOZOICOS DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR CAPÍTULO ANTECEDENTES GENERALES 1 Fig. 1-1. José F. Bonaparte y Don Victorino Herrera en el Co. Cacheuta trabajando en la extracción de un laberintodonte. n este capítulo presentamos una muy Ameghino, G. Burmeister, A. Cabrera, N. E breve reseña de una cantidad de fac- Cattoi, L. Kraglievich, R. Pascual, M. Dol- tores y hechos no sólo paleontológicos que gopol de Saenz, y A. Castellanos, se dedi- han condicionado y alentado la dedicación de JFB desde sus comienzos al presente. Fig. 1-2. Dr. Osvaldo Cuando en 1959 Osvaldo A. Reig organizó A. Reig. Organizó la la 1ª. Expedición Paleontológica a la locali- primera expedición dad fosilífera triásica de Ischigualasto, en la paleontológica Provincia de San Juan, comenzó a abrirse argentina a la rica un amplio, novedoso y fructífero horizonte localidad fosilífera en los estudios de paleovertebrados en Ar- de Ischibualasto gentina. en la provincia Tradicionalmente dedicados a los ma- de San Juan en míferos cenozoicos desde los años del Dr. 1959. Tomado de Francisco Javier Muñiz (1830 aprox.), los Wikipedia. pocos paleontólogos argentinos o radica- dos en Argentina, como Florentino y Carlos ANTECEDENTES GENERALES CAPÍTULO 1 7 PROTOMAMÍFEROS Y MAMÍFEROS MESOZOICOS DE AMÉRICA DEL SuR caron al estudio de los mamíferos cenozoi- terrestres de algunos de los períodos del cos. Asimismo, las diversas expediciones Mesozoico. paleontológicas del American Museum de Las expediciones de F. von Huene, de la New York, el Field Museum de Chicago, Universidad de Tubingen al Triásico del sur de la Princeton University de Philadelphia de Brasil (1928, 1935, etc.) son una excepción realizadas a Patagonia entre fines de siglo a ese enunciado, ya que culminaron con el XIX y principios del siglo XX, centraron el logro de una amplia colección (hoy en Tu- grueso de sus estudios y exploraciones en el bingen) y un extenso estudio publicado en Cenozoico de Argentina, atraídos por los re- Alemania entre 1935 y 1942. levantes descubrimientos y estudios de los El pleno funcionamiento del CONICET, hermanos Ameghino. Poca atención, com- creado en 1955, posibilitó las expediciones parativamente, se prestó al estudio de los paleontológicas organizadas por O. A. Reig vertebrados cretácicos, excepto aquellos de en 1959 y 1960, y su ulterior continuación Lydekker (1893), Smith Woodward (1896, anual bajo la dirección del autor, inicián- 1901) y von Huene (1929), propiciados por dose así trabajos metódicos y continuados el Museo de La Plata, los que revelaron la de la exploración e investigación de verte- potencial diversidad de las faunas terrestres brados tetrápodos mesozoicos en Argentina sudamericanas de esa época. y Brasil, los que se prolongaron hasta 2002, Para el Jurásico, sólo un estudio del Dr. incorporando trabajos conjuntos con los co- Ángel Cabrera de un saurópodo fragmenta- legas brasileros, Dr. Jorge Ferigolo, Mario rio de ese período (Cabrera, 1943), alertaba Costa Barberena y sus discípulos de la Uni- sobre la existencia de dinosaurios jurásicos versidad Federal de Río Grande do Sul diri- en este subcontinente. Y para el Triásico, gidos por el Dr. C. M. Schultz. también fue el Dr. A. Cabrera (1944) que La 1ra. expedición al Triásico de Ischigua- comunicó la presencia de “reptiles” mami- lasto dirigida por O. A. Reig en 1959 se orga- feroides, terápsidos, en el Triásico de San nizó desde la entonces Escuela de Ciencias Juan y de anfibios laberintodontes en el Naturales de la Universidad Nacional de Triásico de Mendoza. Tucumán, y conjuntamente desde la Fun- De tal modo, aún cuando existían eviden- dación M. Lillo de la misma Universidad. cias y estudios de vertebrados mesozoicos El entomólogo Dr. Abraham Willink que en nuestro país y en Brasil, no superaron dirigía esas reparticiones de la UNT., facili- la etapa inicial caracterizada por estudios tó y apoyó la iniciativa de O. A. Reig que, ocasionales resultantes de hallazgos aisla- aunque financiada por el Conicet, requería dos, sin un plan de continuidad destinado diversos aspectos logísticos para su realiza- a coleccionar y estudiar los vertebrados ción. El apoyo del Dr. Willink fue decisivo para la continuidad de esos planes paleon- Fig. 1-3. El Dr. tológicos. Ángel Cabrera La citada 1ª Expedición contó con la pre- fue el primer sencia de un avezado coleccionista de fó- científico del siles, el Sr. Galileo J. Scaglia, por entonces Museo de La Director del Museo Municipal de Ciencias Plata que dio Naturales de Mar del Plata, por el autor, que a conocer en ese tiempo estaba al frente del Museo de cinodontes Ciencias Naturales “Carlos Ameghino” de triásicos y Mercedes
Recommended publications
  • Ischigualasto Formation. the Second Is a Sile- Diversity Or Abundance, but This Result Was Based on Only 19 of Saurid, Ignotosaurus Fragilis (Fig
    This article was downloaded by: [University of Chicago Library] On: 10 October 2013, At: 10:52 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujvp20 Vertebrate succession in the Ischigualasto Formation Ricardo N. Martínez a , Cecilia Apaldetti a b , Oscar A. Alcober a , Carina E. Colombi a b , Paul C. Sereno c , Eliana Fernandez a b , Paula Santi Malnis a b , Gustavo A. Correa a b & Diego Abelin a a Instituto y Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan , España 400 (norte), San Juan , Argentina , CP5400 b Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas , Buenos Aires , Argentina c Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and Committee on Evolutionary Biology , University of Chicago , 1027 East 57th Street, Chicago , Illinois , 60637 , U.S.A. Published online: 08 Oct 2013. To cite this article: Ricardo N. Martínez , Cecilia Apaldetti , Oscar A. Alcober , Carina E. Colombi , Paul C. Sereno , Eliana Fernandez , Paula Santi Malnis , Gustavo A. Correa & Diego Abelin (2012) Vertebrate succession in the Ischigualasto Formation, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 32:sup1, 10-30, DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2013.818546 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2013.818546 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content.
    [Show full text]
  • A Reassessment of the Phylogenetic Position of Cretaceous Sauropod Dinosaurs from Queensland, Australia
    Asociación Paleontológica Argentina. Publicación Especial 7 ISSN 0328-347X VII International Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: 139-144.Buenos Aires, 30-6-2001 A ReasSessmenT of the phylogenetic position of CretaceoUS SaUROPOd dinosaURS from Queensland, Australia Ralph E. MOLNAR1 Abstract. The Cretaceous sauropod material from Queensland, Australia, has been regarded as pertaining to a persistently primitive sauropod lineage (e.g., Coombs and Molnar). The specimens derive from the Toolebuc and Allaru (Albian marine) and Winton (Cenomanian continental) Formations. Recent phyloge- netic analyses carried out by workers in Argentina, the USA and England permit a reassessment of this fragmentary material. As far as can be ascertained from the material, there is no indication from the char- acter states that more than a single taxon is represented. Character states diagnostic of the Titanosauriforrnes, the Titanosauria, the Somphospondyli and the Titanosauridae are present. Thus the Queensland material does not pertain to cetiosaurids but belongs to titanosaurs, extending their range in- to Australia Key words. Sauropods. Austrosaurus. Titanosaurs. Cretaceous. Paleozoogeography. IntroductioN (1998),has made it possible to reassess the phyloge- netic affinities of the Australian Cretaceous sauropod By the 1950's titanosaurs were widely recognized material and address the anomalous absence of ti- both as the latest sauropod group to diversify and as tanosaurs. This paper looks specifically at pre-eminently the sauropods of Gondwanaland.
    [Show full text]
  • Miocene Mammal Reveals a Mesozoic Ghost Lineage on Insular New Zealand, Southwest Pacific
    Miocene mammal reveals a Mesozoic ghost lineage on insular New Zealand, southwest Pacific Trevor H. Worthy*†, Alan J. D. Tennyson‡, Michael Archer§, Anne M. Musser¶, Suzanne J. Hand§, Craig Jonesʈ, Barry J. Douglas**, James A. McNamara††, and Robin M. D. Beck§ *School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Darling Building DP 418, Adelaide University, North Terrace, Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia; ‡Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P.O. Box 467, Wellington 6015, New Zealand; §School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, Australia; ¶Australian Museum, 6-8 College Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; ʈInstitute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, P.O. Box 30368, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand; **Douglas Geological Consultants, 14 Jubilee Street, Dunedin 9011, New Zealand; and ††South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia Edited by James P. Kennett, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, and approved October 11, 2006 (sent for review July 8, 2006) New Zealand (NZ) has long been upheld as the archetypical Ma) dinosaur material (13) and isolated moa bones from marine example of a land where the biota evolved without nonvolant sediments up to 2.5 Ma (1, 14), the terrestrial record older than terrestrial mammals. Their absence before human arrival is mys- 1 Ma is extremely limited. Until now, there has been no direct terious, because NZ was still attached to East Antarctica in the Early evidence for the pre-Pleistocene presence in NZ of any of its Cretaceous when a variety of terrestrial mammals occupied the endemic vertebrate lineages, particularly any group of terrestrial adjacent Australian portion of Gondwana.
    [Show full text]
  • Using Dental Enamel Wrinkling to Define Sauropod Tooth Morphotypes from the Cañadón Asfalto Formation, Patagonia, Argentina
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Using Dental Enamel Wrinkling to Define Sauropod Tooth Morphotypes from the Cañadón Asfalto Formation, Patagonia, Argentina Femke M. Holwerda1,2,3*, Diego Pol4,5, Oliver W. M. Rauhut1,3 1 Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns (SNSB), Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, München, Germany, 2 GeoBioTec, Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal, 3 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and GeoBioCenter, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, München, Germany, 4 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina, 5 Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew, Argentina * [email protected] Abstract OPEN ACCESS The early Middle Jurassic is regarded as the period when sauropods diversified and be- Citation: Holwerda FM, Pol D, Rauhut OWM (2015) came major components of the terrestrial ecosystems. Not many sites yield sauropod mate- Using Dental Enamel Wrinkling to Define Sauropod Tooth Morphotypes from the Cañadón Asfalto rial of this time; however, both cranial and postcranial material of eusauropods have been Formation, Patagonia, Argentina. PLoS ONE 10(2): found in the Cañadón Asfalto Formation (latest Early Jurassic–early Middle Jurassic) in e0118100. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118100 Central Patagonia (Argentina), which may help to shed light on the early evolution of Academic Editor: Peter Dodson, University of eusauropods. These eusauropod remains include teeth associated with cranial and man- Pennsylvania, UNITED STATES dibular material as well as isolated teeth found at different localities. In this study, an assem- Received: September 1, 2014 blage of sauropod teeth from the Cañadón Asfalto Formation found in four different Accepted: January 7, 2015 localities in the area of Cerro Condor (Chubut, Argentina) is used as a mean of assessing sauropod species diversity at these sites.
    [Show full text]
  • Constraints on the Timescale of Animal Evolutionary History
    Palaeontologia Electronica palaeo-electronica.org Constraints on the timescale of animal evolutionary history Michael J. Benton, Philip C.J. Donoghue, Robert J. Asher, Matt Friedman, Thomas J. Near, and Jakob Vinther ABSTRACT Dating the tree of life is a core endeavor in evolutionary biology. Rates of evolution are fundamental to nearly every evolutionary model and process. Rates need dates. There is much debate on the most appropriate and reasonable ways in which to date the tree of life, and recent work has highlighted some confusions and complexities that can be avoided. Whether phylogenetic trees are dated after they have been estab- lished, or as part of the process of tree finding, practitioners need to know which cali- brations to use. We emphasize the importance of identifying crown (not stem) fossils, levels of confidence in their attribution to the crown, current chronostratigraphic preci- sion, the primacy of the host geological formation and asymmetric confidence intervals. Here we present calibrations for 88 key nodes across the phylogeny of animals, rang- ing from the root of Metazoa to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens. Close attention to detail is constantly required: for example, the classic bird-mammal date (base of crown Amniota) has often been given as 310-315 Ma; the 2014 international time scale indicates a minimum age of 318 Ma. Michael J. Benton. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Philip C.J. Donoghue. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Robert J.
    [Show full text]
  • Craniodental Anatomy of a New Late Cretaceous Multituberculate Mammal from Udan Sayr, Mongolia
    University of Louisville ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository Electronic Theses and Dissertations 8-2014 Craniodental anatomy of a new late cretaceous multituberculate mammal from Udan Sayr, Mongolia. Amir Subhash Sheth University of Louisville Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd Part of the Anatomy Commons, and the Medical Neurobiology Commons Recommended Citation Sheth, Amir Subhash, "Craniodental anatomy of a new late cretaceous multituberculate mammal from Udan Sayr, Mongolia." (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1317. https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1317 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ThinkIR: The nivU ersity of Louisville's Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ThinkIR: The nivU ersity of Louisville's Institutional Repository. This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has retained all other copyrights. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CRANIODENTAL ANATOMY OF A NEW LATE CRETACEOUS MULTITUBERCULATE MAMMAL FROM UDAN SAYR, MONGOLIA By Amir Subhash Sheth B.A., Centre College, 2010 A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Medicine of the University of Louisville in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky August 2014 CRANIODENTAL ANATOMY OF A NEW LATE CRETACEOUS MULTITUBERCULATE MAMMAL FROM UDAN SAYR, MONGOLIA By Amir Subhash Sheth B.A., Centre College, 2010 A Thesis Approved on July 18th, 2014 By the Following Thesis Committee: ________________________________ (Guillermo W.
    [Show full text]
  • The Oldest Platypus and Its Bearing on Divergence Timing of the Platypus and Echidna Clades
    The oldest platypus and its bearing on divergence timing of the platypus and echidna clades Timothy Rowe*†, Thomas H. Rich‡§, Patricia Vickers-Rich§, Mark Springer¶, and Michael O. Woodburneʈ *Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas, C1100, Austin, TX 78712; ‡Museum Victoria, PO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia; §School of Geosciences, PO Box 28E, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia; ¶Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521; and ʈDepartment of Geology, Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Edited by David B. Wake, University of California, Berkeley, CA, and approved October 31, 2007 (received for review July 7, 2007) Monotremes have left a poor fossil record, and paleontology has broadly affect our understanding of early mammalian history, been virtually mute during two decades of discussion about with special implications for molecular clock estimates of basal molecular clock estimates of the timing of divergence between the divergence times. platypus and echidna clades. We describe evidence from high- Monotremata today comprises five species that form two resolution x-ray computed tomography indicating that Teinolo- distinct clades (16). The echidna clade includes one short-beaked phos, an Early Cretaceous fossil from Australia’s Flat Rocks locality species (Tachyglossus aculeatus; Australia and surrounding is- (121–112.5 Ma), lies within the crown clade Monotremata, as a lands) and three long-beaked species (Zaglossus bruijni, Z. basal platypus. Strict molecular clock estimates of the divergence bartoni, and Z. attenboroughi, all from New Guinea). The between platypus and echidnas range from 17 to 80 Ma, but platypus clade includes only Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Austra- Teinolophos suggests that the two monotreme clades were al- lia, Tasmania).
    [Show full text]
  • And Early Jurassic Sediments, and Patterns of the Triassic-Jurassic
    and Early Jurassic sediments, and patterns of the Triassic-Jurassic PAUL E. OLSEN AND tetrapod transition HANS-DIETER SUES Introduction parent answer was that the supposed mass extinc- The Late Triassic-Early Jurassic boundary is fre- tions in the tetrapod record were largely an artifact quently cited as one of the thirteen or so episodes of incorrect or questionable biostratigraphic corre- of major extinctions that punctuate Phanerozoic his- lations. On reexamining the problem, we have come tory (Colbert 1958; Newell 1967; Hallam 1981; Raup to realize that the kinds of patterns revealed by look- and Sepkoski 1982, 1984). These times of apparent ing at the change in taxonomic composition through decimation stand out as one class of the great events time also profoundly depend on the taxonomic levels in the history of life. and the sampling intervals examined. We address Renewed interest in the pattern of mass ex- those problems in this chapter. We have now found tinctions through time has stimulated novel and com- that there does indeed appear to be some sort of prehensive attempts to relate these patterns to other extinction event, but it cannot be examined at the terrestrial and extraterrestrial phenomena (see usual coarse levels of resolution. It requires new fine- Chapter 24). The Triassic-Jurassic boundary takes scaled documentation of specific faunal and floral on special significance in this light. First, the faunal transitions. transitions have been cited as even greater in mag- Stratigraphic correlation of geographically dis- nitude than those of the Cretaceous or the Permian junct rocks and assemblages predetermines our per- (Colbert 1958; Hallam 1981; see also Chapter 24).
    [Show full text]
  • Fossil Focus: Dinosaurs Down Under Author(S): Stephen F
    www.palaeontologyonline.com |Page 1 Title: Fossil Focus: Dinosaurs Down Under Author(s): Stephen F. Propat *1 Volume: 5 Article: 1 Page(s): 1-11 Published Date: 01/01/2015 PermaLink: http://www.palaeontologyonline.com/articles/2015/fossil-focus-dinosaurs/ IMPORTANT Your use of the Palaeontology [online] archive indicates your acceptance of Palaeontology [online]'s Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.palaeontologyonline.com/site-information/terms-and-conditions/. COPYRIGHT Palaeontology [online] (www.palaeontologyonline.com) publishes all work, unless otherwise stated, under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license. This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the published work, even commercially, as long as they credit Palaeontology[online] for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered by Creative Commons and is recommended for maximum dissemination of published material. Further details are available at http://www.palaeontologyonline.com/site-information/copyright/. CITATION OF ARTICLE Please cite the following published work as: Propat, Stephen F.. 2015. Fossil Focus: Dinosaurs Down Under, Palaeontology Online, Volume 5, Article 1, 1- 11. Published by: Palaeontology [online] www.palaeontologyonline.com |Page 2 Fossil Focus: Dinosaurs Down Under by Stephen F. Poropat*1,2 Introduction: Ask the average person in the street to name an Australian dinosaur, and you will be lucky if you get a correct answer. If they say crocodile, they are in the right postcode but have the wrong address. If they say emu, then they are correct, strictly speaking, but they are either lucky or being smart. If they say kangaroo, back away slowly and avoid eye contact.
    [Show full text]
  • Mammals from the Mesozoic of Mongolia
    Mammals from the Mesozoic of Mongolia Introduction and Simpson (1926) dcscrihed these as placental (eutherian) insectivores. 'l'he deltathcroids originally Mongolia produces one of the world's most extraordi- included with the insectivores, more recently have narily preserved assemblages of hlesozoic ma~nmals. t)een assigned to the Metatheria (Kielan-Jaworowska Unlike fossils at most Mesozoic sites, Inany of these and Nesov, 1990). For ahout 40 years these were the remains are skulls, and in some cases these are asso- only Mesozoic ~nanimalsknown from Mongolia. ciated with postcranial skeletons. Ry contrast, 'I'he next discoveries in Mongolia were made by the Mesozoic mammals at well-known sites in North Polish-Mongolian Palaeontological Expeditions America and other continents have produced less (1963-1971) initially led by Naydin Dovchin, then by complete material, usually incomplete jaws with den- Rinchen Barsbold on the Mongolian side, and Zofia titions, or isolated teeth. In addition to the rich Kielan-Jaworowska on the Polish side, Kazi~nierz samples of skulls and skeletons representing Late Koualski led the expedition in 1964. Late Cretaceous Cretaceous mam~nals,certain localities in Mongolia ma~nmalswere collected in three Gohi Desert regions: are also known for less well preserved, but important, Bayan Zag (Djadokhta Formation), Nenlegt and remains of Early Cretaceous mammals. The mammals Khulsan in the Nemegt Valley (Baruungoyot from hoth Early and Late Cretaceous intervals have Formation), and llcrmiin 'ISav, south-\vest of the increased our understanding of diversification and Neniegt Valley, in the Red beds of Hermiin 'rsav, morphologic variation in archaic mammals. which have heen regarded as a stratigraphic ecluivalent Potentially this new information has hearing on the of the Baruungoyot Formation (Gradzinslti r't crl., phylogenetic relationships among major branches of 1977).
    [Show full text]
  • Lower Triassic Postcanine Teeth with Allotherian-Like Crowns
    Research Letters South African Journal of Science 103, May/June 2007 245 Lower Triassic postcanine teeth with allotherian-like crowns F. Abdala*‡, H. Mocke*§ and P.J. Hancox* The Allotheria are fossil mammals with upper and lower post- canines usually showing two longitudinal rows of cusps separated by a central valley. The group comprises the poorly known haramiyids, mostly represented by isolated teeth, and the notably diverse and long-lived multituberculates; its monophyly is uncer- tain. The oldest records of this particular group are the Late Triassic (Norian–Rhaetian) haramiyids. We present here postcanines with haramiyid-like crowns that were recovered from the Lower Triassic of South Africa. A distinguishing feature of the new teeth is that they are single-rooted. This is the oldest record of mammal-like teeth with crowns having parallel rows of cusps, representing a temporal extension of some 43 million years from similar crown patterns of haramiyids and tritylodontids. This finding reinforces evidence of the remarkable faunal turnover of therapsids in the Early/Middle Triassic, at which time an explosive origin followed by a rapid early diversification of herbivorous/omnivorous forms with occluding expanded postcanines took place. Introduction The Beaufort Group of the South African Karoo shows an abundance and diversity of non-mammalian synapsids, which have allowed for biostratigraphic subdivisions ranging from Middle Permian to Middle Triassic.1 The youngest of these Fig. 1.Allotherian-like teeth.A, Occlusal and lateral views of BP/1/6515 (Pattern 1); B, occlusal and lateral views of BP/1/6516 (Pattern 2). biozones, the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (AZ), comprises the full extent of the Burgersdorp Formation of the Tarkastad Sub- found to be most parsimonious from an unconstrained search, group (J.
    [Show full text]
  • Osteohistology of Late Triassic Prozostrodontian Cynodonts from Brazil
    Osteohistology of Late Triassic prozostrodontian cynodonts from Brazil Jennifer Botha-Brink1,2, Marina Bento Soares3 and Agustín G. Martinelli3 1 Department of Karoo Palaeontology, National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa 2 Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa 3 Departamento de Paleontologia e Estratigrafia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil ABSTRACT The Prozostrodontia includes a group of Late Triassic-Early Cretaceous eucynodonts plus the clade Mammaliaformes, in which Mammalia is nested. Analysing their growth patterns is thus important for understanding the evolution of mammalian life histories. Obtaining material for osteohistological analysis is difficult due to the rare and delicate nature of most of the prozostrodontian taxa, much of which comprises mostly of crania or sometimes even only teeth. Here we present a rare opportunity to observe the osteohistology of several postcranial elements of the basal prozostrodontid Prozostrodon brasiliensis, the tritheledontid Irajatherium hernandezi, and the brasilodontids Brasilodon quadrangularis and Brasilitherium riograndensis from the Late Triassic of Brazil (Santa Maria Supersequence). Prozostrodon and Irajatherium reveal similar growth patterns of rapid early growth with annual interruptions later in ontogeny. These interruptions are associated with wide zones of slow growing bone tissue. Brasilodon and Brasilitherium exhibit a mixture of woven-fibered bone tissue and slower growing parallel-fibered and lamellar bone. The slower growing bone tissues are present even during early ontogeny. The relatively slower growth in Brasilodon and Brasilitherium may be related to their small body size compared to Prozostrodon and Irajatherium. These brasilodontids also exhibit osteohistological similarities with the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic mammaliaform Morganucodon and the Late Cretaceous multituberculate mammals Kryptobaatar and Nemegtbaatar.
    [Show full text]