恐龙共流体和草和牧草的早期进化
Vandana Prasad1, Caroline A E Strömberg, Habib Alimohammadian
1Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow-226 007, India.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 19, 2005
概括
来自印度的化石植物证据显示,在白纪晚期的冈德瓦纳存在着多种不同的草 (Poaceae). 这表明,在印度之前,草种已经多样化.
科学领域:
- 古植物学是古植物学.
- 古生物学的古生物学
- 进化生物学 进化生物学
背景情况:
- 植物石是来自植物的微观体,提供了对过去植被的洞察力.
- 石提供了草食动物饮食和古代生态系统中可用的植物的直接证据.
- 晚白时期是花植物,包括草的多样化的一个关键时期.
研究的目的:
- 在晚白纪印度次大陆研究草 (Poaceae) 的存在和多样性,使用coprolites的植物体分析.
- 为了重建被怀疑是泰坦恐龙类动物便生产者的饮食.
- 为了评估有关养习惯的假设Gondwanatherian哺乳动物.
主要方法:
- 从印度发现的化石恐龙矿石中提取和识别植物石.
- 微观分析和提取的植物石的分类学分类.
- 鉴定出的植物石与已知的植物种类,特别是草的比较.
主要成果:
- 至少有五种草 (Poaceae) 亚类被确定,这表明印度白纪晚期的草种多样性很大.
- 此外,还发现了来自双树,针叶树和棕树的植物石,这表明铜石生产者的饮食多样化.
- 这些发现支持了多样化的植物群的存在,以及泰坦龙类足动物的不分青红白的食习惯.
结论:
- 在印度孤立之前,皇冠群草 (Poaceae) 已经多样化并遍布冈德瓦纳.
- 泰坦龙类足动物消耗了各种各样的植物,包括草,二叶草,针叶树和棕树.
- 这些数据支持这样一个假设,即带有牙的冈多瓦纳瑟里亚哺乳动物是食草动物.
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