Oldest ctenodactyloid tarsals from the Eocene of China and evolution of locomotor adaptations in early rodents.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tamquammys has been considered one of the basal ctenodactyloid rodents, which has been documented in the earliest to middle Eocene (~ 56.0-48.5 Ma) in China. It was the most abundant and widespread rodent genus in the Erlian Basin (Nei Mongol, China) and dominated Arshantan small-mammal faunas of that region. Here for the first time we describe the morphology of the astragalocalcaneal complex in Tamquammys robustus (larger) and T. wilsoni, and interpret it against the background of locomotor adaptations of basal Euarchontoglires (rodents, lagomorphs, tree shrews, and primates).

Results

The comparative morphology of the tarsal elements in Tamquammys robustus and T. wilsoni shows overall slenderness of the bones and their similarity to the tarsal elements of Rattus,

SUBMITTER: Fostowicz-Frelik L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6172738 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature