Reinterpretation of a Middle Eocene record of Tardigrada (Pilosa, Xenarthra, Mammalia) from La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, West Antarctica

Title Variants

Alternative: Reinterpretation of La Meseta tardigradan

Related Titles

Series: American Museum novitates, no. 3689

By

MacPhee, R. D. E.

Reguero, Marcelo.

Type

Book

Material

Published material

Publication info

New York, NY, American Museum of Natural History, c2010

Notes

Caption title.

"June 25, 2010."

An isolated and incomplete tooth, discovered in sediments of Middle Eocene La Meseta Fm on Seymour Island (northern Weddell Sea, West Antarctica), has previously been interpreted to be that of a sloth. The specimen as preserved is composed of dentine, as in sloths and tooth-bearing xenarthrans generally. However, characters associated with the dentinal histology of definite sloths are either not represented on the Seymour tooth, or depart considerably from tardigradan and even general xenarthran models according to new observations presented here. On the basis of histological criteria, the La Meseta tooth cannot be shown positively to be tardigradan; it may not even be xenarthran. Further progress with establishing its relationships will depend on the recovery of more (and better) specimens. For the moment, it is best attributed to Mammalia, incertae sedis.

Subjects

Antarctica , Eocene , La Meseta Formation , La Meseta Formation (Antarctica) , Mammals, Fossil , Paleontology , Seymour Island , Teeth, Fossil

Call Number

QL1 .A436 no.3689 2010

Language

English

Identifiers

OCLC: 645118214