MACNBR   00242
MUSEO ARGENTINO DE CIENCIAS NATURALES "BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA"
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
The phylogeny of glyptodonts: Overview and criticual issues
Autor/es:
FERNICOLA, J. C.; PORPINO DE OLIVERA, K.
Lugar:
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Reunión:
Jornada; 30 Jornadas Argentinas de Paleontología de Vertebrados; 2016
Resumen:
Glyptodonts comprise one of the most remarkableclades of South American Cenozoic mammals. During the last few years, mor­phologicaland molecular phylogenetic analyses (including ancient DNA) have recognizedglyptodonts as a particular group of armadillos (dasypodids), in contrast withearlier views that considered them a sister lineage. This new understanding ofglyptodont relationships implies that dasypodids are paraphyletic and thatglyptodonts are one of the latest diverging lineages within cingu­lates.Concerning relationships within the clade, one of the most challenging issuesis the interpretation of elements that form the sculptural pattern of thecarapace and caudal tube. There are various nomenclatures that generatediscordant homology hypotheses in available matrices, though tentativestandardizations based on more clearly defined terminologies have beenproposed. Newly described characters, such as histological features ofosteoderms, may help clarify relationships within glyptodont subgroups, butavailable descriptions of histological characters are limited to a few genera.One of the most elusive problems in glyptodont phy­logeny is the status of theGlyptatelinae, a poorly defined group traditionally regarded as the clade?sbasalmost lineage. Maximum parsimony and preliminary histological evidence showthat some purported members of this group (Neoglyptatelus) lack featuresobserved in other glyptodonts, and at least one of them is certainly not aglyptodont (Pachyarmatherium). Finally, the evaluation of relationshipswithin subgroups of glyptodonts (e.g. Panochthini) is hampered by questionsabout the validity of several species, indicating that considerable taxonomicefforts may be needed before further phylogenetic analyses can be conducted.