The oldest flight squirrel fossil always institute has unearthed novel insight on the root in addition to development of these airborne animals.
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| Artistic reconstruction of the extinct flight squirrel Miopetaurista neogrivensis [Credit: Oscar Sanisidro] |
"Due to the large size of the tail in addition to thigh bones, nosotros initially idea the remains belonged to a primate," says outset writer Isaac Casanovas-Vilar, researcher at the ICP. In fact, in addition to much to the disappointment of paleoprimatologists, farther earthworks revealed that it was a large rodent skeleton alongside minuscule specialised wrist bones, identifying it every bit Miopetaurista neogrivensis - an extinct flight squirrel.
Combining molecular in addition to paleontological information to bear out evolutionary analyses of the fossil, Casanovas-Vilar in addition to the squad demonstrated that flight squirrels evolved from tree squirrels every bit far dorsum every bit 31 to 25 1 one k thousand years ago, in addition to maybe fifty-fifty earlier.
In addition, their results showed that Miopetaurista is closely related to an existing grouping of giant flight squirrels called Petaurista. Their skeletons are inward fact in addition to then like that the large species that currently inhabits the tropical in addition to subtropical forests of Asia could travel considered living fossils.
A video showing the reconstruction of the skeleton in addition to real-life appearance of the extinct
flying squirrel Miopetaurista neogrivensis [Credit: Oscar Sanisidro/ICP]
But the root of these animals is highly debated. While most genetic studies dot towards the grouping splitting from tree squirrels nigh 23 1 one k thousand years ago, some 36-million-year-old remains that could belong to flight squirrels accept previously been found.
"The work is that these ancient remains are mainly teeth," Casanovas-Vilar explains. "As the dental features used to distinguish betwixt gliding in addition to non-gliding squirrels may genuinely travel shared past times the ii groups, it is hard to attribute the ancient teeth undoubtedly to a flight squirrel. In our study, nosotros guess that the split upward took house about 31 in addition to 25 1 one k thousand years ago, before than previously thought, suggesting the oldest fossils may non belong to flight squirrels.
"Molecular in addition to paleontological information are frequently at odds, precisely this fossil shows that they tin travel reconciled in addition to combined to retrace history," he adds. "Discovering fifty-fifty older fossils could assistance to retrace how flight squirrels diverged from the residuum of their evolutionary tree."
An particular site inward a rubbish dump
The Can Mata landfill holds a prepare of to a greater extent than than 200 sites ranging inward historic menstruation betwixt 12.6 in addition to 11.4 Ma (middle to belatedly Miocene). In the concluding twenty years, excavations carried out past times the ICP inward Can Mata accept led to the identification of to a greater extent than than lxxx species of mammals, birds, amphibians in addition to reptiles. H5N1 remarkable set out of primate remains from the site accept revealed 3 novel species of hominoids, nicknamed 'Pau' (Pierolapithecus catalaunicus), 'Laia' (Pliobates cataloniae) in addition to 'Lluc' (Anoiapithecus brevirostris). Various studies of mammal remains recovered from the site, including the electrical current travel inward eLife, dot the beingness of a dense subtropical forest.
Source: eLife [October 09, 2018]
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