分类: 生物学 >> 动物学 提交时间: 2017-11-07 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》
摘要: The incisor enamel microstructure of Mina hui Li et al., 2016 from the upper Wanghudun Formation, Middle Paleogene of Qianshan, Anhui is described following the hierarchical system ranging from crystallites to Schmelzmuster. The enamel sample was taken from the upper incisor of the holotype. The enamel consists of a very thin prismless external layer, a relatively thick outer layer (PE) with radial enamel and an inner layer (PI) with multilayered Hunter-Schreger bands (HSB). The thickness of HSB is irregular and the inclination has a small angle; no transition zones between the HSB; prism cross sections are irregularly round; interprismatic matrix is very thick with crystallites in the PE running parallel to the prism long axes. These characters resemble pauciserial HSB in rodents. Ribbon-like prism seams and convergent crystallite discontinuities are consistent in different portions of the enamel, which are interpreted as a primitive feature for Glires, or even placental mammals. Compared with known enamel structure of basal Glires, the enamel of Mina stands for the earliest known evidence of double-layered enamel of the group. It indicates that the early evolution of Glires and placental mammals is complex and adds more details to the enamel microstructure of the earliest Glires.
分类: 生物学 >> 动物学 提交时间: 2017-11-07 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》
摘要: Sabertooth cats were extinct carnivorans that have attracted great attention and controversy because of their unique dental morphology representing an entirely extinct mode of feeding specialization. Some of them are lion-sized or tiger-sized carnivorans who are widely interpreted as hunters of larger and more powerful preys than those of their modern nonsaber-toothed relatives. We report the discovery of a large sabertooth cat skull of Machairodus horribilis from the Late Miocene of northwestern China. It shares some characteristics with derived sabertooth cats, but also is similar to extant pantherines in some cranial characters. A functional morphological analysis suggests that it differed from most other machairodont felids and had a limited gape to hunt smaller preys. Its anatomical features provide new evidence for the diversity of killing bites even within in the largest saber-toothed carnivorans and offer an additional mechanism for the mosaic evolution leading to functional and morphological diversity in sabertooth cats.
分类: 生物学 >> 动物学 提交时间: 2017-11-07 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》
摘要: Sabertooth cats were extinct carnivorans that have attracted great attention and controversy because of their unique dental morphology representing an entirely extinct mode of feeding specialization. Some of them are lion-sized or tiger-sized carnivorans who are widely interpreted as hunters of larger and more powerful preys than those of their modern nonsaber-toothed relatives. We report the discovery of a large sabertooth cat skull of Machairodus horribilis from the Late Miocene of northwestern China. It shares some characteristics with derived sabertooth cats, but also is similar to extant pantherines in some cranial characters. A functional morphological analysis suggests that it differed from most other machairodont felids and had a limited gape to hunt smaller preys. Its anatomical features provide new evidence for the diversity of killing bites even within in the largest saber-toothed carnivorans and offer an additional mechanism for the mosaic evolution leading to functional and morphological diversity in sabertooth cats.