Publication: Taxonomía, Sistemática y Paleobiología de los Mustélidos gigantes (Mammalia, Carnívora, Mustelidae) del Neógeno de Eurasia, Norte América y África
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2018-09-25
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Universidad Complutense de Madrid
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Abstract
En esta Tesis Doctoral se realiza un estudio taxonómico, sistemático y paleobiológico de los mustélidos gigantes del Neógeno de Europa, Asia, Norte América y África. El objetivo general consiste en caracterizar su diversidad morfológica y taxonómica, mediante descripciones anatómicas, caracterizaciones biométricas, y estudios taxonómicos y sistemáticos de nuevo material fósil. Para ello se ha realizado descripciones y comparaciones completas, escaneos superficiales en tres dimensiones, estudios cladísticos, y análisis estadísticos—análisis jerárquicos de agrupación, análisis discriminantes y regresiones lineares. Se describe material nuevo de Megalictis ferox, y se revisa el material publicado de los géneros Megalictis, Aelurocyon y Paroligobunis del Mioceno inferior de América del Norte (Arikareense Ar3-4). Se sinonimiza Aelurocyon y Paroligobunis con Megalictis, argumentando la existencia de cuatro especies de Megalictis: M. frazieri, M. simplicidens, M. ferox y “M”. petersoni. Además se propone que los Oligobuninos son unos mustélidos troncales, que están más emparentados con los representantes actuales que con los otros musteloideos analizados. Así como una nueva interpretación paleobiológica para M. ferox, representando un ecomorfotipo análogo a las hienas actuales, en contraposición al tipo félido tradicionalmente relacionado con esta especie. Se reconoce el primer registro en la Península Ibérica de Iberictis buloti en el Mioceno inferior (MN4) de els Casots (Cuenca del Vallès-Penedès). Iberictis emerge como el representante más antiguo de los Gulonini —Iberictis, Plesiogulo y Gulo— cuyo origen ahora se sitúa en el Mioceno inferior. Nuestros resultados indican que Iberictis es el género hermano de Plesiogulo (forma gigante del Mioceno superior). Se determina la presencia de Eomellivora piveteaui en Cerro de los Batallones (Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, España, Mioceno superior, MN10), precisando su diagnosis y ampliando su rango estratigráfico a la zona MN10. Se revisa el material de Eomellivora publicado hasta la fecha y se aceptan como especies válidas a E. piveteaui, E. wimani, E. ursogulo y E. hungarica. Se confirma, mediante un análisis cladístico, que Eomellivora es el taxón hermano del actual ratel, clasificándolo como Mellivorinae. Nuestros resultados prueban que E. piveteaui tuvo un antepasado común con el clado Turoliense-Ventiense E. wimani-E. ursogulo. La re-examinación de los fósiles de Hadrictis fricki del Vallesiense inferior (MN9) de Austria, conlleva a la sinonimia del género Hadrictis con Eomellivora. Eomellivora fricki sería la especie de Eomellivora más grande conocida, así como una de las más primitivas. Se determina como Mellivorinae al mustélido gigante africano Ekorus, siendo grupo hermano de Eomellivora. El gigantismo en musteloideos aparece muy pronto en la historia evolutiva del grupo, desarrollándose en distintas radiaciones independientes del Neógeno y Cuaternario. Después del estudio realizado en esta Tesis Doctoral, se propone dos definiciones para musteloideo gigante: (1)para formas extintas con representantes actuales que se puedan incluir en alguna subfamilia de Mustelidae, Ailuridae o Procionidae: taxones con una masa corporal estimada igual o mayor del doble de la masa de las formas vivas más grandes de su propia subfamilia; (2) para formas basales o con relaciones inciertas: taxones con una masa corporal estimada igual o mayor del doble de la masa del mustélido vivo terrestre más grande (Gulo 18 kg).
In this PhD thesis we present a taxonomic, systematic and paleobiological study of giant mustelids from the Neogene of Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. The main objective is to characterize its morphological and taxonomic diversity through anatomical descriptions, biometric characterizations, and taxonomic and systematic studies of new fossils. For this purpose, complete descriptions and comparisons have been made with other taxa, such as threedimensional surface scans, cladistic studies, and statistical analysis —hierarchical clustering analysis, discriminant analysis and linear regression. New material of Megalictis ferox is described. We review the published material of Megalictis, Aelurocyon and Paroligobunis from the early Miocene of North America (Arikareean Ar3-4). Aelurocyon and Paroligobunis are synonymized with Megalictis. It is argued the existence of four species within Megalictis: M. frazieri, M. simplicidens, M. ferox and “M”. petersoni. Also we propose that the Oligobunines are stem mustelids, which are more related to the living representatives than to the other musteloids analyzed. A new paleobiological interpretation of M. ferox is proposed, which represents an ecomorfootype analogous to the extant hyenas, as opposed to the felid-type traditionally related to this species. We recognize the first record of Iberictis buloti in the Iberian Peninsula from the early Miocene (MN4) of els Casots (Vallès-Penedès Basin). Iberictis emerges as the oldest representative of the Gulonini —Iberictis, Plesiogulo and Gulo— whose origin is now situated in the early Miocene. Our results show Iberictis represents the sister genus of Plesiogulo (giant form of the late Miocene). We detect the presence of Eomellivora piveteaui in Cerro de los Batallones (Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Spain, Upper Miocene, MN10), improving its diagnosis and expanding its stratigraphic range to the MN10 zone. We review all fossils of Eomellivora published to date and accept as valid species to E. piveteaui, E. wimani, E. ursogulo and E. hungarica. We confirm by a cladistic analysis that Eomellivora represents the sister taxon of the living honey badger, classifying it as Mellivorinae. Our results prove that E. piveteaui had a common ancestor with the Turolian-Ventian E. wimani-E. ursogulo. The re-examination of the fossils of Hadrictis fricki from the early Vallesian (MN9) of Austria, leads us to the synonymy of the genus Hadrictis with Eomellivora. Eomellivora fricki represents the largest known species of Eomellivora, such as one of the most primitive one. We determine that the African giant mustelid Ekorus is also a mellivorine, and the sister group of Eomellivora. Gigantism in musteloids appears very early in the evolutionary history of the group and has occurred in several independent radiations from Neogene and Quaternary. We propose two definitions for giant musteloid: (1)for taxa with living representatives that can be included inside of some subfamily of Mustelidae, Ailuridae or Procionidae: musteloids with an estimated body mass equal to or greater than twice the mass of the largest living forms of their own subfamily; (2)For basal forms or with uncertain relationships: taxa with an estimated body mass equal to or greater than twice the mass of the largest terrestrial living mustelid (Gulo 18 kg).
In this PhD thesis we present a taxonomic, systematic and paleobiological study of giant mustelids from the Neogene of Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. The main objective is to characterize its morphological and taxonomic diversity through anatomical descriptions, biometric characterizations, and taxonomic and systematic studies of new fossils. For this purpose, complete descriptions and comparisons have been made with other taxa, such as threedimensional surface scans, cladistic studies, and statistical analysis —hierarchical clustering analysis, discriminant analysis and linear regression. New material of Megalictis ferox is described. We review the published material of Megalictis, Aelurocyon and Paroligobunis from the early Miocene of North America (Arikareean Ar3-4). Aelurocyon and Paroligobunis are synonymized with Megalictis. It is argued the existence of four species within Megalictis: M. frazieri, M. simplicidens, M. ferox and “M”. petersoni. Also we propose that the Oligobunines are stem mustelids, which are more related to the living representatives than to the other musteloids analyzed. A new paleobiological interpretation of M. ferox is proposed, which represents an ecomorfootype analogous to the extant hyenas, as opposed to the felid-type traditionally related to this species. We recognize the first record of Iberictis buloti in the Iberian Peninsula from the early Miocene (MN4) of els Casots (Vallès-Penedès Basin). Iberictis emerges as the oldest representative of the Gulonini —Iberictis, Plesiogulo and Gulo— whose origin is now situated in the early Miocene. Our results show Iberictis represents the sister genus of Plesiogulo (giant form of the late Miocene). We detect the presence of Eomellivora piveteaui in Cerro de los Batallones (Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Spain, Upper Miocene, MN10), improving its diagnosis and expanding its stratigraphic range to the MN10 zone. We review all fossils of Eomellivora published to date and accept as valid species to E. piveteaui, E. wimani, E. ursogulo and E. hungarica. We confirm by a cladistic analysis that Eomellivora represents the sister taxon of the living honey badger, classifying it as Mellivorinae. Our results prove that E. piveteaui had a common ancestor with the Turolian-Ventian E. wimani-E. ursogulo. The re-examination of the fossils of Hadrictis fricki from the early Vallesian (MN9) of Austria, leads us to the synonymy of the genus Hadrictis with Eomellivora. Eomellivora fricki represents the largest known species of Eomellivora, such as one of the most primitive one. We determine that the African giant mustelid Ekorus is also a mellivorine, and the sister group of Eomellivora. Gigantism in musteloids appears very early in the evolutionary history of the group and has occurred in several independent radiations from Neogene and Quaternary. We propose two definitions for giant musteloid: (1)for taxa with living representatives that can be included inside of some subfamily of Mustelidae, Ailuridae or Procionidae: musteloids with an estimated body mass equal to or greater than twice the mass of the largest living forms of their own subfamily; (2)For basal forms or with uncertain relationships: taxa with an estimated body mass equal to or greater than twice the mass of the largest terrestrial living mustelid (Gulo 18 kg).
Description
Tesis presentada en la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, 30 de junio de 2017