Mammal Phylogeny : Mesozoic Differentiation, Multituberculates, Monotremes, Early Therians, and Marsupials

The roots of this book and its sister volume, Mammal Phylogeny: Placentals, go back to discussions and plans, shelved for a while, between F. S. Szalay and W. P. Luckett during the international and multidisciplinary symposium on rodent evolution sponsored by NATO, July 2-6, 1984, in Paris. That conference, orga­ nized by W. P. Luckett and J. -L. Hartenberger, the proceedings of which were published in 1985, proved an inspiring experience to all of the participants, as this was repeatedly expressed both during and after the meetings. In addition to issues relating to rodents, general theoretical topics pertaining to the evolutionary biol­ ogy and systematics of other groups of mammals regularly surfaced during the presentations and discussions. M. J. Novacek, who was also a participant in the rodent symposium, shared with Luckett and Szalay the enthusiasm acquired there, and he also expressed strong interest for a meeting on mammal evolution with a general focus similar to that of the rodent gathering. In 1988, Szalay and Luckett, after having planned in detail a program, direc­ tion, and core list of participants, were awarded a $30,000 grant by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through the Research Foundation of the City University of New York. The grant was contingent upon obtaining additional funds sufficient to assure that the symposium would be held. Raising the remaining funds proved to be a problem. Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-3 Ontogeny, Genetic Control, and Phylogeny of Female Reproduction in Monotreme and Therian Mammals....Pages 4-20 Development and the Phylogenetic Features of the Middle Ear Region....Pages 21-29 Relationships of the Liassic Mammals Sinoconodon, Morganucodon oehleri , and Dinnetherium ....Pages 30-44 Basicranial Evidence for Early Mammal Phylogeny....Pages 45-62 Cranial Morphology and Multituberculate Relationships....Pages 63-74 Reconsideration of Monotreme Relationships Based on the Skull and Dentition of the Miocene Obdurodon dicksoni ....Pages 75-94 Ontogenetic Evidence for Cranial Homologies in Monotremes and Therians, with Special Reference to Ornithorhynchus ....Pages 95-107 Pedal Evolution of Mammals in the Mesozoic: Tests for Taxic Relationships....Pages 108-128 Phylogenetic Systematics and the Early History of Mammals....Pages 129-145 Phylogeny of Multituberculata....Pages 146-164 Cranial Morphology of the Therian Common Ancestor, as Suggested by the Adaptations of Neonate Marsupials....Pages 165-181 An Ontogenetic Assessment of Dental Homologies in Therian Mammals....Pages 182-204 Theria of Metatherian-Eutherian Grade and the Origin of Marsupials....Pages 205-215 Metatherian Taxon Phylogeny: Evidence and Interpretation from the Cranioskeletal System....Pages 216-242 Back Matter....Pages 243-249 This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the evidence for the Mesozoic origin and differentiation of mammals, particularly the multituberculates, monotremes, and therians. Leading researchers examine evidence ranging from development and genetic control to cranial ontogeny, basicranial morphology, dental homologies, and postcranial morphology. Emphasis is placed on understanding the evolution of morphological characteristics, on the fossil record, and on the construction of phylogenies based on the analysis of characters and on mammalian distribution. In addition to a synthesis of current understanding, the book offers new research on mammalian evolution which occurred during the Age of Reptiles; the longest time period of mammalian evolution. This cohesive book will be invaluable for taxonomists, evolutionary morphologists, vertebrate paleontologists, and mammalogists for its summary of knowledge on mammal phylogeny and for its wealth of references