On the Origin of the Order Artiodactyla

The first known members of the order Artiodactyla appeared suddenly throughout the Holarctic region at the beginning of the Eocene. They are characterized by distinctive cursorial skeletal specializations. Owing to their abrupt appearance and the lack of transitional forms, the origin of the order i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 93; no. 4; pp. 1705 - 1709
Main Author Rose, Kenneth D.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20.02.1996
National Acad Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
Subjects
Anatomy
Dactyl
Evolution
Femur
Fossils
Locomotion
Mammals
Skeletal system
Skeleton
Teeth
Ungulates
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Summary:The first known members of the order Artiodactyla appeared suddenly throughout the Holarctic region at the beginning of the Eocene. They are characterized by distinctive cursorial skeletal specializations. Owing to their abrupt appearance and the lack of transitional forms, the origin of the order is problematic. Descent from a ``condylarth,'' specifically the arctocyonid Chriacus, has been suggested based on dental resemblances, but until now postcranial anatomy seemed to preclude close relationship between Arctocyonidae and Artiodactyla. A middle Paleocene specimen of a small arctocyonid (?Chriacus) reported here is much more similar to the oldest artiodactyl, Diacodexis, in the derived condition of the hindlimb, reviving the possibility that Artiodactyla evolved from an arctocyonid.
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ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.93.4.1705