1977/12/01 by Larry G. Marshall · 2 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Bat Biology and Ecology Studies #Physiological and biochemical adaptations #Biology #Cladistics #Evolutionary biology #Zoology #Phylogenetics #Genetics
paper · doi:10.1093/sysbio/26.4.410
openalex publication_date 1977/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Marshall, L. G. (Department of Geology, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois 60605) 1977. Cladistic analysis of borhyaenoid, dasyuroid, didelphoid, and thylacinid (Marsupialia : Mammalia) affinity. Syst. Zool. 26: 410–425.—A cladistic analysis of the marsupial order Marsupicarnivora is made in an attempt to clarify borhyaenid-thylacinid affinity. This analysis is made in consideration of importance of weights for homologous character states as recognized by Hecht (1976), and Hecht and Edwards (1976). Apomorphies in borhyaenids which separate them from thylacinids include presence of a nasal-lacrimal contact, a solid palate, and reduction or loss of the transverse canal. Apomorphies in thylacinids which separate them from borhyaenids include reduction in size of dP4 and presence of an epitympanic squamosal sinus. The “dog-like” marsupials of Australia (thylacinids) and South America (borhyaenids) appear to represent a classic example of parallelism in evolution; thylacinids having evolved from a common ancestor shared with Australian dasyuroids, and borhyaenoids having evolved from a common ancestor shared with didelphoids. Reduction or loss of the metaconid and stylar shelf, loss of ossified epipubic bones, and reduction of incisors to 4/3 apparently occurred independently and in parallel in borhyaenids and thylacinids. [Borhyaenidae; Thylacinus; Marsupicarnivora; cladism.]