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The origin of the dog-like borhyaenoid marsupials of South America

Author

Listed:
  • Christian de Muizon

    (URA 12 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire de Paléontologie)

  • Richard L. Cifelli

    (Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma)

  • Ricardo Céspedes Paz

    (Universidad Mayor San Simón, Museo Arqueológico)

Abstract

Dog-like marsupials (superfamily Borhyaenoidea) were the largest predacious mammals during the Tertiary period in South America1. They are critical to our understanding of marsupial origin, phylogeny and palaeobiogeography because they have been related to various marsupial lineages of several continents: didelphoids2 (mainly New World, but also Europe, Asia and Africa), pediomyid3, stagodontids4 (North America), dasyuroids5 (Australia) and deltatheroidans6 (predominantly Asian). These relationships, based mainly on dental morphology, have been discussed and rejected several times2,3,7,8. Here we report the discovery of exceptionally well preserved skulls and skeletons, referrable to the didelphoid Andinodelphys, which shed new light on the phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographic origin of dog-like marsupials. The skulls of Mayulestes (boryhyaenoid)9, Andinodelphys and Pucadelphys (didelphoids)10,11 from the early Palaeocene epoch of Bolivia are the oldest known for American marsupials. Comparison of their basicranial anatomy suggests that dog-like marsupials are closely related to an early didelphimorphian radiation in South America, rather than to Asiatic (deltatheroidan), North American (stagodontid), or Australian (dasyuroid) lineages.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian de Muizon & Richard L. Cifelli & Ricardo Céspedes Paz, 1997. "The origin of the dog-like borhyaenoid marsupials of South America," Nature, Nature, vol. 389(6650), pages 486-489, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:389:y:1997:i:6650:d:10.1038_39029
    DOI: 10.1038/39029
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