The earliest lagomorph (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from the basal Eocene of Mongolia

Лопатин, А. В.; Averianov, A. O.

doi:10.1134/s001249660802018x

Cited by 14 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…More postcranials of primitive moles and in particular shrews (e.g. Soricolestes : Lopatin , ) are needed to test these ideas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skeletal adaptations and phylogeny of the oldest mole Eotalpa (Talpidae, Lipotyphla, Mammalia) from the UK Eocene: the beginning of fossoriality in moles

Hooker

2015

Palaeontology

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The oldest talpid, Eotalpa, was previously known only from isolated cheek teeth from the European late Middle Eocene to earliest Oligocene. Screenwashing of Late Eocene sediments of the Hampshire Basin, UK, has yielded cranial and postcranial elements: maxilla, dentary, ulna, metacarpals, distal tibia, astragalus, calcaneum, metatarsals and phalanges. In addition to M 1-2 myotodonty, typical talpid features are as follows: ulna with long medially curved olecranon and deep abductor fossa and astragalar body with lateral process. However, Eotalpa retains certain soricid-like primitive states (M 1 preparacrista, P 4 with prominent mesiolingual protocone lobe, strongly angled astragalar neck and calcaneum with no space for a cuboid medial process) not found in modern talpids. Eotalpa is more derived than the most primitive living talpid Uropsilus in having lost the M 1-2 talon shelf, developed a convex radial facet on the ulna, an incipient proximal olecranon crest, relatively shorter metapodials and depressed manual unguals. Its astragalus with medial trochlear ridge taller than the lateral one and massive medial plantar process is typical of the Lipotyphla. Eotalpa lacks synostosis of tibia and fibula, found in other Talpidae, Soricidae and Erinaceidae, suggesting that synostosis in these groups has been independently acquired. Cladistic analysis places Eotalpa as stem member of the Talpidae and shows that much homoplasy arose during the early evolution of the family. Ground dwelling in Eotalpa is indicated by the following: astragalus with a medially dipping head, curved in a single plane; calcaneum with distal peroneal process and strongly overlapping ectal and sustentacular facets; and matching sized ectal and sustentacular facets on calcaneum and astragalus. These features would have restricted ankle mobility. Ungual and metatarsal shape and ulnar structure suggest a primitive stage in fossorial evolution and argue against a semiaquatic precursor stage in talpid fossoriality. Shrew-moles may represent a reversal to surface foraging rather than an intermediate stage in fossoriality.

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“…More postcranials of primitive moles and in particular shrews (e.g. Soricolestes : Lopatin , ) are needed to test these ideas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skeletal adaptations and phylogeny of the oldest mole Eotalpa (Talpidae, Lipotyphla, Mammalia) from the UK Eocene: the beginning of fossoriality in moles

Hooker

2015

Palaeontology

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“…The earliest fossils considered to belong to Lagomorpha, a group of duplicidentate Glires with two extant families (Leporidae and Ochotonidae), were reported from the Early Eocene of Mongolia (LOPATIN & AVERIANOV 2008) and India (ROSE et al 2008). The exact center of origin for lagomorphs is still uncertain as those findings come from two quite distant regions; furthermore, the remains are extremely scarce and fragmentary.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new genus of stem lagomorph (Mammalia: Glires) from the Middle Eocene of the Erlian Basin, Nei Mongol, China

Fostowicz‐Frelik¹,

Li²

2014

Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia

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We report the discovery of Erenlagus anielae, a new genus and species of stem lagomorph from the lower part of the Middle Eocene Irdin Manha Formation at the Huheboerhe locality, Erlian Basin, Nei Mongol, China. The remains consist of isolated teeth; however, the material includes all loci except the incisors and P2. The new lagomorph is characterized by a small size and high degree of unilateral hypsodonty comparable to that of Aktashmys and slightly higher than that observed in the coeval and co-occurring Strenulagus. Further, it shows advanced root fusion, which exceeds even that in Gobiolagus. Although phylogenetic relationships of the Eocene lagomorphs from Asia are still not fully resolved, the dental characters of Erenlagus anielae suggest that it is most closely related to Lushilagus danjingensis from the Middle Eocene of Henan, China and Aktashmys montealbus from the late Early Eocene of Kyrgyzstan. This stratigraphically well-constrained finding represents one of the lagomorph genera that appeared in the Eocene Glires paleobiodiversity reservoir, the Erlian Basin in Nei Mongol.

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“…The oldest Lagomorpha in Europe are dated to the Early Oligocene and are therefore much younger than Asian finds (e.g., Li et al 2007;Lopatin and Averianov 2008;Rose et al 2008). Migrating westwards from Asia after the closing of the Turgai Strait, the first, but extremely rare, European lagomorphs appeared in a few post-Grande Coupure faunas (Heissig and Schmidt-Kittler 1976;Lopez and Thaler 1974).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A new species of Amphilagus (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) from the Late Oligocene lake deposits of Enspel (Westerwald, Germany)

Mörs

Kalthoff

2010

Palaeobio Palaeoenv

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The Paleogene lagomorph record in Europe is based exclusively on dental remains-with the exception of an undetermined skeleton from the Late Oligocene oil shale locality of Rott, Germany (Paleogene Mammal Unit MP 30). The specimen described here was excavated from the Late Oligocene oil shales of the Enspel locality in the Westerwald, Germany. These crater lake deposits have an 40 Ar/ 39 Ar date of between 24.79 Ma and 24.56 Ma and are biostratigraphically correlated with MP 28. The specimen is preserved as a skull with an almost complete dentition and mandibles as well as an articulated partial skeleton with trunk and forelimbs. Based on the dentition, it can be safely attributed to the European early lagomorph Amphilagus, and it is one of the oldest representatives of the genus. The cheek teeth are significantly larger than those of Amphilagus antiquus, the only species known from the European Paleogene. Therefore, we assign the Enspel lagomorph to a new species of Amphilagus. The Enspel specimen represents a juvenile individual based on the presence of almost unworn cheek teeth and a number of deciduous teeth. On the basis of the development of the dentition and skeletal elements, we estimate the individual age of the animal at about 5 weeks. Nevertheless, it is much larger than the Rott lagomorph, which also is a juvenile individual of approximately the same age, suggesting that the Rott lagomorph represents a taxon different from the Enspel Amphilagus.

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The earliest lagomorph (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from the basal Eocene of Mongolia

Cited by 14 publications

References 3 publications

Skeletal adaptations and phylogeny of the oldest mole Eotalpa (Talpidae, Lipotyphla, Mammalia) from the UK Eocene: the beginning of fossoriality in moles

Skeletal adaptations and phylogeny of the oldest mole Eotalpa (Talpidae, Lipotyphla, Mammalia) from the UK Eocene: the beginning of fossoriality in moles

A new genus of stem lagomorph (Mammalia: Glires) from the Middle Eocene of the Erlian Basin, Nei Mongol, China

A new species of Amphilagus (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) from the Late Oligocene lake deposits of Enspel (Westerwald, Germany)

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