A new Paleocene nyctitheriid insectivore from Inner Mongolia [China] and the origin of Asian nyctitheriids

• Autorzy: Missiaen P , Smith T.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Nyctitheriids are primitive insectivores that were relatively abundant and diverse in North America and Europe during the middle Paleocene through to the middle Oligocene. The nyctitheriids from Asia are poorly known and show several distinctive characters. Here we describe the late Paleocene Asionyctia guoi gen. et sp. nov., the first fairly well known Asian nyctitheriid, from the Subeng locality near the city of Erlianhot (Erenhot) in Inner Mongolia, China. Among its most conspicuous features are the paraconid positioned high on p4, the rather primitive morphology and size of p3, the premolariform P4/p4 and the transverse upper molars with a small, straight postcingulum. Except for the paraconid positioned high on p4, these combined features are also present in other Asian nyctitheriids, but absent in North American or European forms. We performed a cladistic analysis, based on a set of 20 dental characters, to resolve higher−level phylogenetic relations within Nyctitheriidae. The strict consensus tree groups all Asian forms in a single clade, for which we propose the rank of a subfamily and the name Asionyctiinae subfam. nov. Within Nyctitheriidae, a semimolariform P4/p4, as in Leptacodon tener, is considered primitive, and we consider the morphologically simplified P4/p4 of Asionyctiinae derived within Nyctitheriidae. Asionyctiinae can be derived from an American, primitive Leptacodon−like ancestor migrating into Asia, with the reduction of P4/p4 occurring on the Asian continent. Considering the derived morphology and the relatively high diversity of Asionyctiinae during the Asian late Paleocene, and the inferred conservative nature of the family Nyctitheriidae, we suggest an early Tiffanian time for the migration of nyctitheriids into Asia.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Inner Mongolia; Paleocene; nyctitheriid; China; Mammalia; Subeng; insectivore; Asia; Gashatan; paleontology; Nyctitheriidae

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
• Rocznik: 2005
• Tom: 50
• Numer: 3
• Opis fizyczny: p.513-522,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Missiaen P

• University of Ghent, Krijgslaan 281-S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium

autor

Smith T.

Bibliografia

• Archibald, J.D. and Averianov, A.O. 2001. Paranyctoides and allies from the Late Cretaceous of North America and Asia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 46: 533–551
• Averianov, A. 1995. Nyctitheriid insectivores from the Upper Paleocene of Southern Kazakhstan (Mammalia: Lipotyphla). Senckenbergiana lethaea 75: 215–219.
• Beard, K.C. 1998. East of Eden: Asia as an important center of taxonomic origination in mammalian evolution. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 34: 5–39.
• Beard, K.C. and Dawson, M.R. 1999. Intercontinental dispersal of Holarctic land mammals near the Paleocene/Eocene boundary: paleogeographic, paleoclimatic and biostratigraphic implications. Bulletin de la Societé géologique de France 170: 697–706.
• Butler, P.M. 1972. The problem of insectivore classification. In: K.A. Joysey and T.S. Kemp (eds.), Studies in Vertebrate Evolution, 253–265. Oliver and Boyd, London.
• Butler, P.M. 1988. Phylogeny of the insectivores. In: M.J. Benton (ed.), The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods 2: Mammals, 117–141. Clarendon, Oxford.
• Cifelli, R.L. 1990. Cretaceous mammals of Southern Utah. IV. Eutherian mammals from the Wahweap (Aquilan) and Kaiparowits (Judithian) Formations. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 10: 346–360.
• Filhol, H. 1877. Recherches sur les posphorites du Quercy. Étude des fossiles qu’on y rencontre et spécialement des Mammifères. 561 pp. Masson, Paris.
• Fox, R.C. 1979. Mammals from the Upper Cretaceous Oldman Formation, Alberta. III. Eutheria. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 16: 114–125.
• Gingerich, P.D. 1987. Early Eocene bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) and other vertebrates in freshwater limestones of the Willwood formation, Clark’s Fork Basin, Wyoming. Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, The University of Michigan 27: 275–320.
• Haeckel, E. 1866. Generelle Morphologie der Organismen. Allgemeine Grundzüge der organischen Formen−Wissenschaft, mechanisch begründet durch die von Charles Darwin reformirte Descendenz−Theorie. Vol. 1, 574 pp. Vol. 2, 462 pp. Georg Reimer, Berlin.
• Hooker, J.J. 2001. Tarsals of the extinct insectivoran family Nyctitheriidae (Mammalia): evidence for archontan relationships. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 135: 501–529.
• Jepsen, G.L. 1930. Stratigraphy and paleontology of the Paleocene of north−eastern Park County, Wyoming. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 69: 463–528.
• Kondrashov, P.E, Lopatin A.V., and Lucas, S.G. 2004. Late Paleocene (Gashatan) Nyctitheriidae (Mammalia, Lipotyphla) from Mongolia. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 26: 185–193.
• Krishtalka, L. 1976. North American Nyctitheriidae (Mammalia, Insectivora). Annals of Carnegie Museum 46: 7–28.
• Marsh, O.C. 1872. Preliminary description of new Tertiary mammals. American Journal of Science, ser. 3 4: 122–128.
• Matthew, W.D. and Granger, W. 1921. New genera of Paleocene mammals. American Museum Novitates 13: 1–7.
• Matthew, W.D., Granger, W., and Simpson, G.G. 1929. Additions to the fauna of the Gashato Formation of Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 376: 1–12.
• McKenna, M.C. 1968. Leptacodon, an American Paleocene nyctithere (Mammalia, Insectivora). American Museum Novitates 2317: 1–12.
• McKenna, M.C. and Bell, S.K. 1997. A Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. 631 pp. Columbia University Press, New York.
• Meng, J. and McKenna, M.C. 1998. Faunal turnovers of Palaeogene mammals from the Mongolian Plateau. Nature 394: 364–367.
• Meng, J., Zhai, R., and Wyss, A.R. 1998. The late Paleocene Bayan Ulan fauna of Inner Mongolia, China. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 34: 148–185.
• Nessov, L.A. [Nesov, L.A.] 1987. Results of search and investigation of Cretaceous and Early Paleogene mammals on the territory of the USSR [in Russian]. Ežegodnik vsesoûznogo paleontologičeskogo Obŝestva 30: 199–218.
• Quinet, G. 1964. Morphologie dentaire des mammifères éocènes de Dormaal. Bulletin du groupement international de recherche en stomatologie 7: 272–294.
• Robinson, P. 1968. Nyctitheriidae (Mammalia, Insectivora) from the Bridger Formation of Wyoming. University of Wyoming Contributions to Geology 7: 129–138.
• Russell, D.E. and Dashzeveg, D. 1986. Early Eocene insectivores (Mammalia) from the People’s Republic of Mongolia. Palaeontology 29: 269–291.
• Scott, C.S. 2003. Late Torrejonian (Middle Paleocene) mammals from South Central Alberta, Canada. Journal of Paleontology 77: 745–768.
• Sigé, B. 1976. Insectivores primitifs de l’Éocène supérieur et Oligocène inférieur d’Europe occidentale. Nyctitheriidés. Mémoire du Musée Nationale d’Histoire Naturelle (Série C) 34: 1–140.
• Sigé, B. 1997. Les Mammifères insectivores des nouvelles collections de Sossís et sites associés (Éocène supérieur, Espagne).Géobios 30: 91–113.
• Sigé, B. and Storch, G. 2001. Un nouveau Saturninia (Nyctitheriidae, Lipotyphla, Mammalia) de l’assise OK (Oberkohle, MP14) du bassin lignifère du Geiseltal (Eocène moyen supérieur d’ Allemagne). Senckenbergiana lethaea 81: 343–346.
• Simpson, G.G. 1927. Mammalian Fauna of the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. American Museum Novitates 207: 1–7.
• Simpson, G.G. 1928. A new mammalian fauna from the Fort Union of Southern Montana. American Museum Novitates 297: 1–15.
• Simpson, G.G. 1935. New Paleocene mammals from the Fort Union of Montana. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 83: 221–244.
• Smith, T. 1996. Leptacodon dormaalensis (Mammalia, Liptoyphla), un nyctithère primitive de la transition Paléocène–Éocène de Belgique. Belgian Journal of Zoology 126: 153–167.
• Smith, T. and Smith, R. 1995. Le genre Dormaalius Quinet, 1964 de l’Eocène inférieur de Belgique, synonyme du genre Macrocranion Weitzel, 1949 (Mammalia, Lipotyphla). Service géologique de Belgique, Professional Paper 274: 119–131.
• Smith, T., Van Itterbeeck, J., and Missiaen, P. 2004. Oldest Plesiadapiform (Mammalia, Proprimates) of Asia and its paleobiogeographical implications for faunal interchange with North America. Comptes Rendus Palévol 3: 43–52.
• Stehlin, H.G. 1940. Zur Stammesgeschichte der Soriciden. Eclogae geologicae Helvetiae 33: 298–306.
• Swofford, D.L. 2003. PAUP*. Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (*and Other Methods). Version 4.0b10. Sinauer Associates, Massachusetts.
• Ting, S. 1998. Paleocene and early Eocene Land Mammal Ages of Asia. Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 34: 124–147.
• Van Itterbeeck, J. and Bultynck, P. 2004. Nonmarine ostracods from the Paleocene Subeng mammal site, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China, taxonomy and biostratigraphy. Bulletin de l’Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre 74 (Supplement): 155–163.
• Wang, Y., Hu, Y., Chow, M., and Li, C. 1998. Chinese Paleocene Mammal faunas and their correlation. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 34: 89–123.