The placental mammal ancestor and the post-K-Pg radiation of placentals.
Science
; 339(6120): 662-7, 2013 Feb 08.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23393258
ABSTRACT
To discover interordinal relationships of living and fossil placental mammals and the time of origin of placentals relative to the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary, we scored 4541 phenomic characters de novo for 86 fossil and living species. Combining these data with molecular sequences, we obtained a phylogenetic tree that, when calibrated with fossils, shows that crown clade Placentalia and placental orders originated after the K-Pg boundary. Many nodes discovered using molecular data are upheld, but phenomic signals overturn molecular signals to show Sundatheria (Dermoptera + Scandentia) as the sister taxon of Primates, a close link between Proboscidea (elephants) and Sirenia (sea cows), and the monophyly of echolocating Chiroptera (bats). Our tree suggests that Placentalia first split into Xenarthra and Epitheria; extinct New World species are the oldest members of Afrotheria.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Phylogeny
/
Biological Evolution
/
Fossils
/
Mammals
Limits:
Animals
/
Pregnancy
Language:
En
Journal:
Science
Year:
2013
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States