马达加斯加的晚白纪的一种鼻
G A Buckley1, C A Brochu, D W Krause
1Evelyn T. Stone University College, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois 60605, USA.
Nature
|July 6, 2000
概括
马达加斯加的一种新的食草的鱼类化石挑战了人类.
科学领域:
- 古生物学的古生物学
- 进化生物学 进化生物学
- 比较解剖学的比较解剖学
背景情况:
- 鱼类通常被认为是"活着的化石",具有保存的形态.
- 典型的鱼形动物拥有长长的鼻子,形牙,平坦的头骨和后关节.
研究的目的:
- 描述一个来自马达加斯加的晚白时期的新鱼类分类.
- 分析其独特的形态特征,推断其古生态学和进化关系.
主要方法:
- 详细的形态分析一个保存得非常好的化石标本.
- 与已知的鱼类和鸟类类的比较解剖学研究.
- 遗传学分析以确定进化关系.
主要成果:
- 发现了一种新的鱼类分类,鼻子,头骨高,关节前部移动.
- 拥有多形,爪状的牙,与典型的鱼形牙不同.
- 有证据表明,其饮食主要是食草动物,与notosuchids有着密切的关系.
结论:
- 这种新分类代表了与典型的鱼形体图的显著偏差.
- 它独特的牙表明鱼体内的专门草食动物.
- 与南美notosuchids共享的特征支持马达加斯加和南美之间的晚白纪陆地桥架假设.
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