ISSN:
1573-7055
Keywords:
marsupial phylogeny
;
multidisciplinary data
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Selected characters of the cranioskeletal, dental, neuroanatomical, reproductive, lymphoid, and developmental systems that are known for most or all extant marsupial families are reviewed and analyzed for their abilities to corroborate higher-level hypotheses of suprafamilial relationships among extant marsupials. In addition, relatively conservative nucleotides from the mitochondrial 12S rDNA gene (obtained from the recent study by Springeret al., J. Mammal. Evol. 2, 85–115, 1994) were incorporated into the same character analysis. The ancestral morphotype for each marsupial family and each character was reconstructed, using the reconstructed eutherian and therian morphotypes for outgroup comparisons. In addition, ontogenetic data, stratigraphic position of fossils, and form-functional considerations were used, whenever feasible, to assess character state polarity of anatomical traits. Despite missing data from some families and many genera, this preliminary and modified “total evidence” approach helps to identify several well corroborated higher taxa, including Diprotodontia, Vombatiformes, and Macropodoidea, and it provides modest support for Ameridelphia, Australidelphia, and Syndactyla. An important conclusion is that no single data set is capable of resolving all suprafamilial relationships among marsupials. Suggestions are also presented for future multidisciplinary approaches to help resolve several polychotomies that have remained resistant to phylogenetic analyses of single data sets.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01464277
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