The role of phenacodontids in the origin of the modern orders of ungulate mammals
- 15 December 1992
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
- Vol. 12 (4), 494-504
- https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.1992.10011476
Abstract
We investigate the role of the ancestral ungulates Phenacodontidae in the evolution of Perissodactyla, Hyracoidea, Proboscidea, Sirenia, and Desmostylia on the basis of parsimony analysis of dental, cranial, and postcranial data. The monophyletic order Phenacodonta (Phenacodontidae and Meniscotheriidae) is the sistergroup to the mirorder Pantomesaxonia (consisting of the five mammalian orders mentioned), and these two clades are united as superorder Paenungulata. The relationships of taxa within Pantomesaxonia remain unresolved. Important characters of the ancestor of Pantomesaxonia include partially molarized premolars and a cursorial limb skeleton.Keywords
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