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Yangtanglestes
''Yantanglestes'' is a genus of small, Chinese mesonychid with slender jaws that first appeared during the Early Paleocene in the Thanetian stage. It was found throughout Asia. It is the oldest known mesonychid. ''Yantanglestes'' became extinct during the Nongshanian division of the Late Paleocene,Missiaen, Pieter. "亚洲早古近纪哺乳动物生物年代学与生物地理学的新认识."古脊椎动物学报 49.1 (2011)paper/ref> and lived sympatrically with its descendant genera, including ''Dissacus ''Dissacus'' is a genus of extinct carnivorous jackal to coyote-sized mammals within the family Mesonychidae, an early group of hoofed mammals that evolved into hunters and omnivores. Their fossils are found in Paleocene to Early Eocene aged st ...'', '' Sinonyx'' and '' Jiangxia''. References External linksScience Mesonychids Paleocene mammals Thanetian life Paleocene mammals of Asia Paleogene China Prehistoric animals of China Fossil taxa described in 1980 P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesonychid
Mesonychia ("middle claws") is an extinct taxon of small- to large-sized carnivorous ungulates related to artiodactyls. Mesonychids first appeared in the early Paleocene, went into a sharp decline at the end of the Eocene, and died out entirely when the last genus, '' Mongolestes'', became extinct in the early Oligocene. In Asia, the record of their history suggests they grew gradually larger and more predatory over time, then shifted to scavenging and bone-crushing lifestyles before the group became extinct. Mesonychids probably originated in China, where the most primitive mesonychid, '' Yangtanglestes'', is known from the early Paleocene. They were also most diverse in Asia, where they occur in all major Paleocene faunas. Since other predators, such as creodonts and Carnivora, were either rare or absent in these animal communities, mesonychids most likely dominated the large predator niche in the Paleocene of eastern Asia. One genus, '' Dissacus'', had successfully sprea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesonychids
Mesonychia ("middle claws") is an extinct taxon of small- to large-sized carnivorous ungulates related to artiodactyls. Mesonychids first appeared in the early Paleocene, went into a sharp decline at the end of the Eocene, and died out entirely when the last genus, '' Mongolestes'', became extinct in the early Oligocene. In Asia, the record of their history suggests they grew gradually larger and more predatory over time, then shifted to scavenging and bone-crushing lifestyles before the group became extinct. Mesonychids probably originated in China, where the most primitive mesonychid, '' Yangtanglestes'', is known from the early Paleocene. They were also most diverse in Asia, where they occur in all major Paleocene faunas. Since other predators, such as creodonts and Carnivora, were either rare or absent in these animal communities, mesonychids most likely dominated the large predator niche in the Paleocene of eastern Asia. One genus, '' Dissacus'', had successfully spread ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dissacus
''Dissacus'' is a genus of extinct carnivorous jackal to coyote-sized mammals within the family Mesonychidae, an early group of hoofed mammals that evolved into hunters and omnivores. Their fossils are found in Paleocene to Early Eocene aged strata in France, Asia and southwest North America, from 66 to 50.3 mya, existing for approximately . Orientation patch analysis of the molar teeth of the North American ''D. praenuntius'' suggests it was an omnivore that ate a lot of meat, not an exclusive meat-eater like a cat or weasel. It shared its environment with more omnivorous mammals of a similar body size. Though they are not ancestral to Carnivora, ''Dissacus'' species may have had similar roles in Paleocene-early Eocene environments as the foxes and other small canids that evolved later: generalized hunters who also ate fruit or other foods, and caught small animals that lived on the ground. The bear-sized '' Ankalagon'' is closely related to ''Dissacus''. Some paleontologist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. '' Panthera leo'' (lion) and '' Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants of an ancestral taxon are grouped together (i.e. phylogenetic analysis should c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paleocene
The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek ''palaiós'' meaning "old" and the Eocene Epoch (which succeeds the Paleocene), translating to "the old part of the Eocene". The epoch is bracketed by two major events in Earth's history. The K–Pg extinction event, brought on by an asteroid impact and possibly volcanism, marked the beginning of the Paleocene and killed off 75% of living species, most famously the non-avian dinosaurs. The end of the epoch was marked by the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which was a major climatic event wherein about 2,500–4,500 gigatons of carbon were released into the atmosphere and ocean systems, causing a spike in global temperatures and ocean acidification. In the Paleocene, the continents of the Northern Hemisphere were still connected v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area of , about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8.7% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which has long been home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations. Its 4.7 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population. In general terms, Asia is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. The border of Asia with Europe is a historical and cultural construct, as there is no clear physical and geographical separation between them. It is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in classical antiquity. The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East–West cultural, ling ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sympatric
In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sharing a common range exemplifies sympatric speciation. Such speciation may be a product of reproductive isolation – which prevents hybrid offspring from being viable or able to reproduce, thereby reducing gene flow – that results in genetic divergence. Sympatric speciation may, but need not, arise through secondary contact, which refers to speciation or divergence in allopatry followed by range expansions leading to an area of sympatry. Sympatric species or taxa in secondary contact may or may not interbreed. Types of populations Four main types of population pairs exist in nature. Sympatric populations (or species) contrast with parapatric populations, which contact one another in adjacent but not shared ranges and do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinonyx
''Sinonyx'' ("Chinese claw") is a genus of extinct, superficially wolf-like mesonychid mammals from the late Paleocene of China (about 56 million years ago). It is within the family Mesonychidae, and cladistic analysis of a skull of ''Sinonyx'' ''jiashanensis'' identifies its closest relative as ''Ankalagon''. ''S.'' ''jiashanensis'' was discovered in Anhui province, China (, paleocoordinates ), in the Tuijinshan formation. Description ''Sinonyx'' was about 1.5 m (5 ft) long, about the size of a modern grey wolf with a large elongated head, short legs, digitigrade feet adapted for running, and tiny hooves on all of its toes. The tooth count was 3.1.4.3=44, the primitive mammalian number. The canines were long and slender. Compressed teeth with shearing notches in the lower jaw operated against multiple-cusped molars in the upper. The large skull had an extended occipital bone and large sagittal crest that contained the small brain typical of early mammals. The sagitt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jiangxia Chaotoensis
''Jiangxia chaotoensis'' is a Chinese mesonychid from the Nongshanian division of the Upper Paleocene. It may be related to the genera '' Dissacus'' and ''Hukoutherium''.Zhang, Yuping, et al. "Several species of Condylarthra from the Paleocene of Jiangxi." (1997). ''Jinagxia chaotoensis'' was named after the province of Jiangxi, China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ..., where it was found. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paleocene Mammals
The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek ''palaiós'' meaning "old" and the Eocene Epoch (which succeeds the Paleocene), translating to "the old part of the Eocene". The epoch is bracketed by two major events in Earth's history. The K–Pg extinction event, brought on by an asteroid impact and possibly volcanism, marked the beginning of the Paleocene and killed off 75% of living species, most famously the non-avian dinosaurs. The end of the epoch was marked by the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which was a major climatic event wherein about 2,500–4,500 gigatons of carbon were released into the atmosphere and ocean systems, causing a spike in global temperatures and ocean acidification. In the Paleocene, the continents of the Northern Hemisphere were still connected v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thanetian Life
The Thanetian is, in the ICS Geologic timescale, the latest age or uppermost stratigraphic stage of the Paleocene Epoch or Series. It spans the time between . The Thanetian is preceded by the Selandian Age and followed by the Ypresian Age (part of the Eocene). The Thanetian is sometimes referred to as the Late Paleocene. Stratigraphic definition The Thanetian was established by Swiss geologist Eugène Renevier in 1873. The Thanetian is named after the Thanet Formation, the oldest Cenozoic deposit of the London Basin, which was first identified in the area of Kent (southern England) known as the Isle of Thanet. The base of the Thanetian Stage is laid at the base of magnetic chronozone C26n. The references profile (Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point) is in the Zumaia section (43° 18'N, 2° 16'W) at the beach of Itzurun, Pais Vasco, northern Spain. Fossils of the unicellular planktonic marine coccolithophore '' Areoligeria gippingensis'' make their first appearance at th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
