Polydolopimorphia
Temporal range: Paleocene– Pliocene, 66–2.6 Ma
Argyrolagus palmeri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Clade: Metatheria
Clade: Marsupialiformes
Order: †Polydolopimorphia
Archer, 1984
Subgroups
  • †Apeirodon?
  • †Pujatodon?
  • †Bonapartheriiformes
  • †Polydolopiformes

Polydolopimorphia is an extinct order of metatherians, closely related to extant marsupials. Known from the Paleocene-Pliocene of South America and the Eocene of Antarctica, they were a diverse group during the Paleogene, filling many niches, before declining and becoming extinct at the end of the Neogene.[1] It is divided into two suborders, Bonapartheriiformes, and Polydolopiformes [2] Most members are only known from jaw fragments, which have their characteristically generally bunodont teeth.[3] The morphology of their teeth has led to proposals that polydolopimorphians may be crown group marsupials, nested within Australidelphia,[4] though this proposal, has been questioned, with other analyses finding them outside of crown-group Marsupialia.[3] The monophyly of the group has been questioned, due to the possiblity of the characteristic bunodont teeth emerging convergently in unrelated groups, rather than reflecting a true phylogenetic relationship.[5] The group contained omnivorous, frugivorous and herbivorous forms.[4]

Taxonomy

Taxonomical subdivision of the Polydolopimorphia:[6]

References

  1. ^ Beck, Robin M. D. (2016). "The Skull of Epidolops ameghinoi from the Early Eocene Itaboraí Fauna, Southeastern Brazil, and the Affinities of the Extinct Marsupialiform Order Polydolopimorphia". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 24 (4): 373–414. doi:10.1007/s10914-016-9357-6. ISSN 1064-7554. PMC 5684316. PMID 29187780.
  2. ^ Chornogubsky, Laura; Goin, Francisco J. (2015). "A review of the molar morphology and phylogenetic affinities of Sillustania quechuense(Metatheria, Polydolopimorphia, Sillustaniidae), from the early Paleogene of Laguna Umayo, southeastern Peru". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (6): e983238. doi:10.1080/02724634.2015.983238. hdl:11336/46844. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 86106580.
  3. ^ a b Beck, Robin M. D. (2023), Cáceres, Nilton C.; Dickman, Christopher R. (eds.), "Diversity and Phylogeny of Marsupials and Their Stem Relatives (Metatheria)", American and Australasian Marsupials, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–66, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-88800-8_35-1, ISBN 978-3-030-88800-8, retrieved 2023-05-14
  4. ^ a b Goin, Francisco J.; Woodburne, Michael O.; Zimicz, Ana Natalia; Martin, Gabriel M.; Chornogubsky, Laura (2016), "Phylogeny and Diversity of South American Metatherians", A Brief History of South American Metatherians, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 155–183, doi:10.1007/978-94-017-7420-8_5, ISBN 978-94-017-7418-5, retrieved 2022-02-19
  5. ^ Beck, Robin M. D. (2023), Cáceres, Nilton C.; Dickman, Christopher R. (eds.), "Diversity and Phylogeny of Marsupials and Their Stem Relatives (Metatheria)", American and Australasian Marsupials, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–66, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-88800-8_35-1, ISBN 978-3-030-88800-8, retrieved 2024-04-16
  6. ^ Polydolopimorphia at Fossilworks.org
  7. ^ Laura Chornogubsky (2021). "Interrelationships of Polydolopidae (Mammalia: Marsupialia) from South America and Antarctica". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 192 (4): 1195–1236. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa143. hdl:11336/131166. Along with:
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