2004/03/31 by Christine Argot · 2 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Psychology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Primate Behavior and Ecology #Bat Biology and Ecology Studies #Cursorial #Arboreal locomotion #Postcrania #Biology #Marsupial #Predation #Ecology #Taxon #Zoology #Evolution of mammals #Evolutionary biology #Habitat
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2004.00110.x
openalex publication_date 2004/03/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The evolution of South American carnivorous marsupials, the borhyaenoids, has been investigated through the functional analysis of postcranial adaptive traits and palaeobiological data. There is evidence that the evolutionary history of Borhyaenoidea proceeded from a noncursorial ancestor. The locomotion and habits of the early Palaeocene Mayulestes ferox probably approached a generalized plesiomorphic pattern for marsupial locomotion, i.e. primarily terrestrial with secondary arboreal adaptations. An exceptionally rich early Miocene Patagonian fauna has yielded various morphological predator types, from scansorial ambusher to terrestrial, incipiently cursorial, taxa. The most specialized borhyaenoid was the powerful sabretooth Thylacosmilus atrox that survived until the late Pliocene. The evolution from a scansorial pattern towards a cursorial trend, illustrated by Borhyaena tuberata, and towards the probable development of postlactational parental care in Thylacosmilus, required by its dental specialization and killing strategy, suggests a modification of the selective pressures and predatory activities of the group over evolutionary time.