|
KU ScholarWorks >
Paleontological Institute >
Publications >
1. Paleontological Contributions (2009-present) >
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1808/6360
|
|
Statistics
|
| Title: | Skull of the Eocene primate Omomys carteri from western North America |
| Authors: | Burger, Benjamin J. |
| Keywords: | mammal
haplorhine
tarsiiform
omomyiform
anatomy
Bridger Formation |
| Issue Date: | 2010 |
| Type: | Article, scholarly/refereed, author accepted manuscript |
| Series/Report no.: | Number 2; |
| Abstract: | The description of a skull of the omomyid primate Omomys carteri from the middle Eocene Bridger Formation of southwestern Wyoming provides important new information relevant to our understanding of Eocene primate systematics and evolution. More specifically, Omomys carteri exhibits a long and wide nasal region and lacks the forward orientation of the orbits found in other omomyid primates. Furthermore, other features such as an unreduced cranial arterial system, primitive auditory bulla, expanded internal choanae, and an unreduced canine indicate that the cranium of Omomys carteri is primitive. Phylogenetic analysis of 52 cranial, 194 dental, and 56 postcranial characters, including the new characteristics of Omomys carteri discussed here, suggests that omomyiforms belong to a monophyletic tarsiiform clade exclusive of anthropoids. Anthropoids are still viewed as a sister group to tarsiiforms, forming a haplorhine clade, with an uncertain position for the problematic fossil primate Rooneyia. The reconstructed cranial anatomy of the haplorhine morphotype is more primitive than originally thought and likely exhibited many of the primitive traits featured in the skull of Omomys carteri. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1808/6360 |
| ISSN: | 1946-0279 |
| Appears in Collections: | 1. Paleontological Contributions (2009-present)
|
Items in KU ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
|
top