Teinolophos

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Teinolophos
Temporal range: Late
Ma
↓
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Monotremata
Family: †Teinolophidae
Genus: †Teinolophos
Species:
†T. trusleri
Binomial name
†Teinolophos trusleri
Rich et al., 1999

Teinolophos is a

Victoria, Australia. It lived during the late Barremian age of the Lower Cretaceous
.

The species name honours the artist Peter Trusler. The genus name, Teinolophos, means "extended ridge", a reference to its tooth structure.

Originally, Teinolophos was thought to be a

steropodontid, though it may be more basal.[1] Teinolophos is deeply divergent within monotreme evolution, so in 2022 it was proposed to move it into its own family, Teinolophidae. Stirtodon may be a close relative of Steropodon within Teinolophidae.[2]

The

talonid
has no basin. The dentary is about one sixth the size of Steropodon's, and wear facets indicate an "orthal" occlusion with the upper molars.

Description

Jaw

The construction of the lower jaw differs from existing monotremes. Among the contrasts are the

plesiomorphic when compared to ornithorhynchids, but is a shared characteristic with Steropodon and Kollikodon
. Subsequent monotreme molars are multi-rooted.

Unlike modern monotremes, Teinolophos lacked a beak.[1]

Ears

Unlike modern monotremes, which have suspended ear bones much like

placentals and marsupials, Teinolophos still had them connected to the jaw via the Meckel's cartilage. This reinforces the idea that the modern ear condition evolved independently among monotremes and therians.[1]

Evolution

One study interpreted Teinolophos as a basal platypus.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Thomas H. Rich, James A. Hopson, Pamela G. Gill, Peter Trusler, Sally Rogers-Davidson, Steve Morton, Richard L. Cifelli, David Pickering, Lesley Kool, Karen Siu, Flame A. Burgmann, Tim Senden, Alistair R. Evans, Barbara E. Wagstaff, Doris Seegets-Villiers, Ian J. Corfe, Timothy F. Flannery, Ken Walker, Anne M. Musser, Michael Archer, Rebecca Pian and Patricia Vickers-Rich (2016). "The mandible and dentition of the Early Cretaceous monotreme Teinolophos trusleri". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. in press. doi:10.1080/03115518.2016.1180034.
  2. S2CID 247542433
    .
  3. ^ Rowe, T., Rich, T. H., Vickers-Rich, P., Springer, M., & Woodburne, M. O. (2008). The oldest platypus and its bearing on divergence timing of the platypus and echidna clades. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(4), 1238-1242. doi:10.1073/pnas.0706385105

Bibliography

  • Rich et al. "Early Cretaceous Mammals from Flat Rocks, Victoria, Australia". Records of the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston (1999).
  • Rich, T. H., et al. "Monotreme nature of the Australian Early Cretaceous mammal Teinolophos". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 46(1). 2001 Pages 113–118.
  • Rowe, T., et al. "The oldest platypus and its bearing on divergence timing of the platypus and echidna clades". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(4). 2008 Pages 1238–1242.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to Teinolophos.
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