[dinosaur] Mammals and birds from Eocene of Antarctica + barbourofelines are nimravids

Ben Creisler <[email protected]> Thu, 9 Jan 2020 08:29:08 -0800
Newsgroups gmane.science.dinosaurs.general
Message-ID <CAMR9O1+O9UMScXM70cYuwgsQ0581a76x9fGOWG=BhunmWfggcw@mail.gmail.com>
--000000000000f66212059bb78215
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable

Ben [email protected]=0A=0ASome Cenozoic items that may be of =
interest:=0A=0ASarah N. Davis, Christopher R. Torres, Grace M. Musser, Jame=
s V. Proffitt,=0ANicholas M.A. Crouch, Ernest L. Lundelius, Matthew C. Lama=
nna & Julia A.=0AClarke (2020)=0ANew mammalian and avian records from the l=
ate Eocene La Meseta and=0ASubmeseta formations of Seymour Island, Antarcti=
ca.=0APeerJ 8:e8268=0Adoi: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhtt=
ps-3A__doi.org_10.7717_peerj.8268&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOU=
HhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DhGd_X=
DiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&s=3DFh8gVeHHp-qeAo0JGgrgFM9e-Q9uDUOO=
iewkmd30ZTk&e=3D=20=0Ahttps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A=
__peerj.com_articles_8268_&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8=
p7CSfnc_gI&r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DhGd_XDiApM6Y=
1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&s=3DaExK2TRMhMLilresSjV58S-0mW3pYEk_lJRA0BJ=
wMu8&e=3D=20=0A=0AFree pdf:=0Ahttps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3D=
https-3A__peerj.com_articles_8268.pdf&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU=
5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3Dh=
Gd_XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&s=3DWR1M0khpAnMIYzBmOga2x_FARpou=
fOgOA5PhxvZom-s&e=3D=20=0A=0AThe middle=E2=80=93late Eocene of Antarctica w=
as characterized by dramatic change=0Aas the continent became isolated from=
 the other southern landmasses and the=0AAntarctic Circumpolar Current form=
ed. These events were crucial to the=0Aformation of the permanent Antarctic=
 ice cap, affecting both regional and=0Aglobal climate change. Our best ins=
ight into how life in the high latitudes=0Aresponded to this climatic shift=
 is provided by the fossil record from=0ASeymour Island, near the eastern c=
oast of the Antarctic Peninsula. While=0Aextensive collections have been ma=
de from the La Meseta and Submeseta=0Aformations of this island, few avian =
taxa other than penguins have been=0Adescribed and mammalian postcranial re=
mains have been scarce. Here, we=0Areport new fossils from Seymour Island c=
ollected by the Antarctic Peninsula=0APaleontology Project. These include a=
 mammalian metapodial referred to=0AXenarthra and avian material including =
a partial tarsometatarsus referred=0Ato Gruiformes (cranes, rails, and alli=
es). Penguin fossils=0A(Sphenisciformes) continue to be most abundant in ne=
w collections from=0Athese deposits. We report several penguin remains incl=
uding a large=0Aspear-like mandible preserving the symphysis, a nearly comp=
lete=0Atarsometatarsus with similarities to the large penguin clade Palaeeu=
dyptes=0Abut possibly representing a new species, and two small partial=0At=
arsometatarsi belonging to the genus Delphinornis. These findings expand=0A=
our view of Eocene vertebrate faunas on Antarctica. Specifically, the new=
=0Aremains referred to Gruiformes and Xenarthra provide support for previou=
sly=0Aproposed, but contentious, earliest occurrence records of these clade=
s on=0Athe continent.=0A=0A=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=0A=0AOriens=
milus liupanensis gen. and sp. nov.=0A=0AXiaoming Wang, Stuart C. White & J=
ian Guan (2020)=0AA new genus and species of sabretooth, Oriensmilus liupan=
ensis=0A(Barbourofelinae, Nimravidae, Carnivora), from the middle Miocene o=
f China=0Asuggests barbourofelines are nimravids, not felids.=0AJournal of =
Systematic Palaeontology (advance online publication)=0Adoi: https://urldef=
ense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__doi.org_10.1080_14772019.2019.1691=
066&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=3DRy_mO4IF=
aUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DhGd_XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9Y=
GHO8BRKQ&s=3DM7JlEwx5fp1RRceiwGwFGcI_MFApnp-tc9UAaZIP7RQ&e=3D=20=0Ahttps://=
urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.tandfonline.com_doi_full=
_10.1080_14772019.2019.1691066&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhp=
N0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DhGd_XDiA=
pM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&s=3DJgL6td_kxJPp6UOZ28Yk-mNIg6ANW4zrbn4=
48N-z3-E&e=3D=20=0A=0A=0ASince the early 2000s, a revival of a felid relati=
onship for barbourofeline=0Asabretooths has become popular due to recent di=
scoveries of fragmentary=0Afossils from Africa. According to this view, bar=
bourofelines trace their=0Acommon ancestor with felids through shared simil=
arities in dental=0Amorphology going back to the early Miocene of Africa an=
d Europe. However,=0Awhether or not such an idea is represented in the basi=
cranial morphology, a=0Aconservative area of high importance in family-leve=
l relationships, is yet=0Ato be tested. A nearly complete skull of Oriensmi=
lus liupanensis gen. and=0Asp. nov. from the middle Miocene Tongxin Basin o=
f northern China represents=0Athe most primitive known barbourofeline with =
an intact basicranial region,=0Aaffording an opportunity to re-examine the =
relationship of felids and=0Animravines. We also present an update on East =
Asian records of=0Abarbourofelines. The new skull of Oriensmilus possesses =
a suite of=0Acharacters shared with nimravines, such as the lack of an ossi=
fied=0A(entotympanic) bullar floor, absence of an intrabullar septum, lack =
of a=0Aventral promontorial process of the petrosal, presence of a small ro=
stral=0Aentotympanic on the dorsal side of the caudal entotympanic, and a d=
istinct=0Acaudal entry of the internal carotid artery and nerve that pierce=
s the=0Acaudal entotympanic at the junction of the ossified and unossified =
caudal=0Aentotympanics. The absence of an ossified bullar floor in O. liupa=
nensis=0Aand its presence in those from the middle Miocene of Sansan, Franc=
e thus=0Ahelp to bracket the transition of this character, which must have =
happened=0Ain the early part of the middle Miocene. Spatial relationships b=
etween=0Abullar construction and the middle ear configuration of the caroti=
d artery=0Ain Oriensmilus strongly resemble those in nimravines but are dis=
tinctly=0Adifferent from felids and other basal feliforms. Despite the attr=
active=0Anotion that early barbourofelines arose from a Miocene ancestor th=
at also=0Agave rise to felids, the basicranial evidence argues against this=
 view.=0A=0Ahttps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__zoobank.o=
rg_urn-3Ahttp-3A__lsid-3Azoobank.org-3Apub-3A2DE98DBC-2D4D02-2D4E18-2D9788-=
2D0B0D8587E73F&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=
=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DhGd_XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4Jip=
eeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&s=3DJY0ww2rbhOq-jwteDUFA7xJbBOioEmS5s6DmEi8sZpQ&e=3D=20=
=0A=

--000000000000f66212059bb78215
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr"><div><br></div>Ben Creisler<div><a href=3D"mailto:bcreisle=
[email protected]">[email protected]</a></div><div><br></div><div>Some Cenozoic=
 items that may be of interest:<br><div><br></div><div>Sarah N. Davis, Chri=
stopher R. Torres, Grace M. Musser, James V. Proffitt, Nicholas M.A. Crouch=
, Ernest L. Lundelius, Matthew C. Lamanna &amp; Julia A. Clarke (2020)<br>N=
ew mammalian and avian records from the late Eocene La Meseta and Submeseta=
 formations of Seymour Island, Antarctica. <br>PeerJ 8:e8268<br>doi: <a hre=
f=3D"https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__doi.org_10.7717=
_peerj.8268&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc=
_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DhGd_XDiApM6=
Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&amp;s=3DFh8gVeHHp-qeAo0JGgrgFM9e-Q9uDUOOie=
wkmd30ZTk&amp;e=3D">https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8268</a><br><a href=3D"ht=
tps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__peerj.com_articles_826=
8_&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=
=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DhGd_XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c=
4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&amp;s=3DaExK2TRMhMLilresSjV58S-0mW3pYEk_lJRA0BJwMu8=
&amp;e=3D">https://peerj.com/articles/8268/</a></div><div><br>Free pdf:<br>=
<a href=3D"https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__peerj.com=
_articles_8268.pdf&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8=
p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DhGd_=
XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&amp;s=3DWR1M0khpAnMIYzBmOga2x_FARpo=
ufOgOA5PhxvZom-s&amp;e=3D">https://peerj.com/articles/8268.pdf</a><br><br>T=
he middle=E2=80=93late Eocene of Antarctica was characterized by dramatic c=
hange as the continent became isolated from the other southern landmasses a=
nd the Antarctic Circumpolar Current formed. These events were crucial to t=
he formation of the permanent Antarctic ice cap, affecting both regional an=
d global climate change. Our best insight into how life in the high latitud=
es responded to this climatic shift is provided by the fossil record from S=
eymour Island, near the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. While ext=
ensive collections have been made from the La Meseta and Submeseta formatio=
ns of this island, few avian taxa other than penguins have been described a=
nd mammalian postcranial remains have been scarce. Here, we report new foss=
ils from Seymour Island collected by the Antarctic Peninsula Paleontology P=
roject. These include a mammalian metapodial referred to Xenarthra and avia=
n material including a partial tarsometatarsus referred to Gruiformes (cran=
es, rails, and allies). Penguin fossils (Sphenisciformes) continue to be mo=
st abundant in new collections from these deposits. We report several pengu=
in remains including a large spear-like mandible preserving the symphysis, =
a nearly complete tarsometatarsus with similarities to the large penguin cl=
ade Palaeeudyptes but possibly representing a new species, and two small pa=
rtial tarsometatarsi belonging to the genus Delphinornis. These findings ex=
pand our view of Eocene vertebrate faunas on Antarctica. Specifically, the =
new remains referred to Gruiformes and Xenarthra provide support for previo=
usly proposed, but contentious, earliest occurrence records of these clades=
 on the continent.</div><div><br>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br></=
div></div><div><br></div><div>Oriensmilus liupanensis gen. and sp. nov.</di=
v><div><br>Xiaoming Wang, Stuart C. White &amp; Jian Guan (2020)<br>A new g=
enus and species of sabretooth, Oriensmilus liupanensis (Barbourofelinae, N=
imravidae, Carnivora), from the middle Miocene of China suggests barbourofe=
lines are nimravids, not felids.<br>Journal of Systematic Palaeontology (ad=
vance online publication)<br>doi: <a href=3D"https://urldefense.proofpoint.=
com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__doi.org_10.1080_14772019.2019.1691066&amp;d=3DDwMF=
aQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmG=
of_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DhGd_XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9Y=
GHO8BRKQ&amp;s=3DM7JlEwx5fp1RRceiwGwFGcI_MFApnp-tc9UAaZIP7RQ&amp;e=3D">http=
s://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2019.1691066</a> <br><a href=3D"https://urldef=
ense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.tandfonline.com_doi_full_10.10=
80_14772019.2019.1691066&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUH=
hpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=
=3DhGd_XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG9YGHO8BRKQ&amp;s=3DJgL6td_kxJPp6UOZ28Yk=
-mNIg6ANW4zrbn448N-z3-E&amp;e=3D">https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1=
080/14772019.2019.1691066</a><br><br><br>Since the early 2000s, a revival o=
f a felid relationship for barbourofeline sabretooths has become popular du=
e to recent discoveries of fragmentary fossils from Africa. According to th=
is view, barbourofelines trace their common ancestor with felids through sh=
ared similarities in dental morphology going back to the early Miocene of A=
frica and Europe. However, whether or not such an idea is represented in th=
e basicranial morphology, a conservative area of high importance in family-=
level relationships, is yet to be tested. A nearly complete skull of Oriens=
milus liupanensis gen. and sp. nov. from the middle Miocene Tongxin Basin o=
f northern China represents the most primitive known barbourofeline with an=
 intact basicranial region, affording an opportunity to re-examine the rela=
tionship of felids and nimravines. We also present an update on East Asian =
records of barbourofelines. The new skull of Oriensmilus possesses a suite =
of characters shared with nimravines, such as the lack of an ossified (ento=
tympanic) bullar floor, absence of an intrabullar septum, lack of a ventral=
 promontorial process of the petrosal, presence of a small rostral entotymp=
anic on the dorsal side of the caudal entotympanic, and a distinct caudal e=
ntry of the internal carotid artery and nerve that pierces the caudal entot=
ympanic at the junction of the ossified and unossified caudal entotympanics=
. The absence of an ossified bullar floor in O. liupanensis and its presenc=
e in those from the middle Miocene of Sansan, France thus help to bracket t=
he transition of this character, which must have happened in the early part=
 of the middle Miocene. Spatial relationships between bullar construction a=
nd the middle ear configuration of the carotid artery in Oriensmilus strong=
ly resemble those in nimravines but are distinctly different from felids an=
d other basal feliforms. Despite the attractive notion that early barbourof=
elines arose from a Miocene ancestor that also gave rise to felids, the bas=
icranial evidence argues against this view.<br><br><a href=3D"https://urlde=
fense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__zoobank.org_urn-3Ahttp-3A__lsid-3A=
zoobank.org-3Apub-3A2DE98DBC-2D4D02-2D4E18-2D9788-2D0B0D8587E73F&amp;d=3DDw=
MFaQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaU=
mGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DhGd_XDiApM6Y1zFnHp-c4JipeeNhYR8UG=
9YGHO8BRKQ&amp;s=3DJY0ww2rbhOq-jwteDUFA7xJbBOioEmS5s6DmEi8sZpQ&amp;e=3D">ht=
tp://zoobank.org/urn:http://lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2DE98DBC-4D02-4E18-9788-0B=
0D8587E73F</a><br><br></div></div>=0A=

--000000000000f66212059bb78215--