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Inproceedings Reference An exceptionally well preserved primate petrosal from the Early Eocene of India
The Early Eocene (~54.5 Ma) Cambay Shale Formation at Vastan lignite mine (Gujarat, India) has yielded remains of both adapoid and omomyoid primates. The collection of primates includes not only jaws and teeth, but numerous exquisitely preserved postcranial elements. We report on the first cranial specimen for a primate from these deposits: an isolated left petrosal that preserves a partial stapes in anatomical position. The petrosal is identified as a primate based on the remnants of a petrosal bulla, and the presence of an ossified tube for the stapedial artery. The specimen documents a posterolateral entry of the internal carotid artery to the middle ear and a lateral course for the promontorial artery across the promontorium, characters most consistent with an attribution to Adapoidea. Of the adapoids published from the Vastan mine, body mass estimates based on the radii of the semicircular canals, calculated from high resolution microCT data, are most in line with previously calculated estimates for Marcgodinotius indicus, so the specimen is provisionally attributed to that species. Preserved anatomy is largely consistent with that described for Cantius. In particular, although the stapedial artery passed through a bony tube, the promontorial artery ran in an open groove from its origin off the internal carotid artery. This contrasts with the condition in omomyoids and most other adapoids, in which the promontorial artery was carried in a bony tube. The identification of an open groove for this artery in Cantius has been somewhat controversial, based on the state of preservation of published specimens. The petrosal from Vastan is extremely well preserved, demonstrating a clear opening in the internal carotid artery bony tube for the exit of the promontorial artery, and a well-demarcated groove on the promontorium for the latter artery that was clearly not enclosed. The absence of a bony tube for the promontorial artery in the oldest known adapoids suggests that the tube arose independently, in parallel, in Omomyoidea and Adapoidea. The promontorial artery is always enclosed in modern haplorhines, but when this artery is retained in living strepsirrhines it is often not fully enclosed by bone. Therefore, the primitive adapoid condition is more similar to that observed in Strepsirrhini. The antiquity and fine quality of preservation of this specimen make it relevant to reconstructing auditory morphology near the base of the primate tree. Grant Information Supported by an NSERC Discovery Grant to MTS and grants from the National Geographic Society and the Leakey Foundation to KDR.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inproceedings Reference New Early Eocene mammal assemblage from Tadkeshwar Lignite Mine, Western India
The Ypresian Cambay Formation at Vastan and Mangrol mines in Gujarat, western India, has yielded a rich vertebrate fauna with a large proportion of small to middle-sized mammal taxa of European affinities. Here we report a new, approximately contemporary mammal assemblage from the nearby mine of Tadkeshwar. Two fossil layers have been discovered. The older one is a grey clayey sand situated a few meters above the lower major lignite seam and represents a fluvial deposit. The younger layer is a lenticular dark clayey silt, lignitic and rich in organic remains situated just below the upper major lignite seam. This younger layer is sedimentologically similar to the famous fossiliferous lenses known from Vastan. These two fossil layers have yielded a mammal fauna similar to that of Vastan with the co-occurrence of the perissodactyl-like cambaytheriid Cambaytherium thewissi, the adapoid primates Marcgodinotius indicus and Asiadapis cambayensis, and the hyaenodontid Indohyaenodon raoi. The presence of these species in both mines and at different levels suggests that the deposits between the two major lignite seams represent a single mammal age. Apart from the aforementioned classic species there are at least two new species. A new smaller but abundant cambaytheriid is represented by upper and lower jaws, many isolated teeth and postcranial bones. A new esthonychid tillodont is described based on a dentary with m3, an isolated m2, two upper molars and two lower incisors. This new fauna from Tadkeshwar also contains the first large early Eocene vertebrates from India including an unidentified perissodactyl-like ungulate, a mesosuchian dyrosaurid-like crocodiliform and a giant madtsoiid snake. This latter group is particularly diversified in Tadkeshwar. Among the Tadkeshwar vertebrates, several taxa are of Gondwanan affinities attesting that the early Eocene was a crucial period in India during which Laurasian taxa of European affinities coexisted with relict taxa from Gondwana before the India-Asia collision. Grant Information Fieldwork and research supported by National Geographic Society, Leakey Foundation, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Belgian Science Policy Office.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inproceedings Reference Evolution of the European mesonychid mammals and theur bearings on the European Paleoecosystems and biostratigraphy
European mesonychids are represented by few specimens found only in late Paleocene and early Eocene localities. Recent field works in Palette and La Borie (Ypresian of France) resulted in the discovery of new mesonychid specimens. Additionally, our review of the mesonychids housed by European scientific institutions allowed establishing the occurrence of Dissacus in Berru (Thanetian) and Sézanne-Broyes (Ypresian). Only the genera Pachyaena and Dissacus are recognized in Europe. Furthermore, two new Dissacus species can be defined from the Ypresian localities of Palette, Sézanne-Broyes and La Borie. We also identified from three localities several postcranial elements that could be referred to Dissacus. The preliminary study of this postcranial material suggests a cursorial locomotion. As a result of our study, we propose a scheme of evolution comprising three phases for these particular mammals in Europe. (1) The mesonychid Dissacus dispersed into Europe during Thanetian, probably from North America; it survived the PETM event and even possibly experienced a dwarfism during this global warming. (2) The very large mesonychid Pachyaena migrated into Europe shortly after the Paleocene–Eocene boundary, but it seems that it did not coexist with Dissacus: it was restricted to Northern Europe, while Dissacus was possibly present at that time only in southern areas. (3) However, Pachyaena rapidly disappeared from the European environments, while Dissacus dispersed subsequently into Northern Europe. These data support the existence of a faunal turnover in Northern Europe shortly after the PETM event: it has been notably proposed for explaining the disappearance from Europe of the carnivorous oxyaenids and hyaenodont sinopines, and their subsequent replacement by taxa from the southern areas. The persistence of Dissacus in Europe shows that size was not the main selective factor during this dramatic period. Dissacus has evolved endemically during Thanetian and Ypresian in Europe where it reached a very large size, especially in southern France and Spain. Due to its size, dental, and locomotor adaptations, Dissacus was probably the top mammal predator in Europe. It survived in Europe after its disappearance from North America, possibly due to its ecologic position and the lack of competitors. Grant Information This abstract is a contribution to the project BR/121/A3/PALEURAFRICA funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Palaeolithic dogs and Pleistocene wolves revisited: a reply to Morey
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Molecular Phylogeny of the Extinct Giant Deer, Megaloceros giganteus
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inbook Reference Influence of climate on sexual segregation and cub mortality in Pleniglacial cave bear
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference The Pleniglacial cave bears from Goyet, Belgium
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Systematics and osteometry of Late Glacial foxes from Belgium
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Two cave bear assemblages from Goyet (Chamber A, horizon 1 and 3), Belgium
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Sexual dimorphism and morphometric variability of cheek teeth of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus)
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications