哺乳類の進化について. ジュラ紀の樹木型ドコドントと哺乳類型の生態学的多様化
Qing-Jin Meng1, Qiang Ji2, Yu-Guang Zhang1
1Beijing Museum of Natural History, Beijing 100050 China.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 14, 2015
まとめ
中国から新たに発見された中ジュラ紀のドコドンタンの哺乳類は,登山に適応し,植物を含むオムニヴォーラな食生活をしていました. この発見は,初期の哺乳類の形態におけるより大きな生態学的多様性を明らかにしています.
科学分野:
- パレオントロジー・パレオントロジー
- 哺乳類の進化について
- メソゾイク時代の生態系
背景:
- ドコドンタンの哺乳類形態は,初期の哺乳類の相対的なグループとして多様である.
- 以前の研究では,主に昆虫食または肉食的な食生活と,ドコドンタで掘り掘りや泳ぐための適応を示していた.
研究 の 目的:
- 中国のジュラ紀中期の新しいドコドントン化石について説明する.
- この新しい種の運動運動と食事の適応を調査する.
- 初期の哺乳類の生態学的多様性を理解する.
主な方法:
- 化石化した遺骸の骨格分析.
- 歯科形態学検査 歯科形態学検査 歯科形態学検査
- 他のドコドンタン化石との比較分析.
主要な成果:
- この新しい化石は,登るのに適した骨格の特徴を示しています.
- 歯の特徴は,植物を含むオムニヴォーラな食生活を示唆しています.
- これにより,ドコドンタスの既知の運動能力の範囲は,樹木活動を含むように拡大される.
- これは,以前知られている野生動物食の食事と対照的に,いくつかのドコドントの重要な草食的な食生活成分を示しています.
結論:
- 初期の哺乳類形態,特にドコドンタは,これまで理解されていたよりも幅広い生態学的ニッチと食事戦略を示した.
- この発見は,初期の哺乳類のクラード内のより大きな分類学および生態学的多様性を強調しています.
- この発見は,ドコドントンの生態学的専門性に関する以前の仮定に異議を唱える.
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