两个白纪哺乳动物的化石和进化发展
Fangyuan Mao1,2,3, Chi Zhang4,5, Cunyu Liu6
1Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China. maofangyuan@ivpp.ac.cn.
Nature
|April 8, 2021
概括
新发现的白纪早期化石揭示了哺乳动物的融合进化. 这些适合挖掘的古老物种在骨中表现出早期的可塑性.
科学领域:
- 古生物学
- 脊椎动物的进化
- 发育生物学
背景情况:
- 哺乳动物包括Tritylodontidae和哺乳动物的祖先和后代.
- 从三纪晚期到白纪早期,三类动物是食草动物.
- 尤特里科诺多坦被认为是一种已灭绝的哺乳动物群体,分类有所不同.
研究的目的:
- 报道发现了新型的三龙和龙,
- 在这些远距离相关的物种中研究化石 (挖掘) 生命的融合适应.
- 分析轴骨架的进化变化以及它们在干哺乳动物的发育基础.
主要方法:
- 在Jehol生物群中发现和分析化石.
- 进行比较的形态学以识别融合特征和骨适应.
- 检查脊椎数量和特征以推断发育模式.
主要成果:
- 在Jehol生物群中发现了第一个三角虫,与常见的虫一起.
- 这两种物种都表现出对化石生活的融合适应,被称为"挖掘者".
- 观察到增加了带有美丽学和同源学变化的前脊椎,这表明了进化转变.
结论:
- 这些化石提供了关于哺乳动物轴骨架的进化发展的见解.
- 这些发现表明,干性哺乳动物中存在体生和HOX基因表达的发育可塑性.
- 发育机制和自然选择的相互作用很可能推动了哺乳动物的多样化.
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