Phylogeny and evolutionary history of hystricognathous rodents from the Old World during the Tertiary: new insights into the emergence of modern "phiomorph" families

BARBIERE, F.; MARIVAUX, L.

Evolution of the Rodents

Cambridge University Press

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2015; p. 87 - 138

Among the Old-World hystricognathous rodents, the phylogenetic relationshipsbetween the Palaeogene (?Phiomyidae?, Baluchimyinae?, Gaudeamuridae) andNeogene/Recent families (Diamantomyidae, Kenyamyidae, Myophiomyidae,Thryonomyidae, Bathyergidae, Petromuridae, and Hystricidae) had never been properlyassessed. Here we have investigated these relationships in performing a cladisticassessment of the dental evidence in order to better understand the macroevolutionarypattern of Old-World hystricognaths during the Tertiary, and to determine to whichfossil groups the modern ?phiomorph? families (Thryonomyoidea) are potentiallyclosely related. From our phylogenetic results, it appears that Old Worldhystricognaths have experienced significant turnovers during the Tertiary.?Phiomyidae?, ?Baluchimyinae?, Diamantomyidae, Kenyamyidae, andMyophiomyidae are outside the crown radiation and were parts of earlier and successiveextinct radiations. Eocene?Oligocene ?Baluchimyinae? and ?Phiomyidae? are extinctstem lineages of an initial middle Eocene radiation of hystricognaths, while Oligocene?Miocene Diamantomyidae, Kenyamyidae and Myophiomyidae are extinct stem lineagesof a second radiation of hystricognaths that occurred during the early Oligocene.Although the earliest known stem Thryonomyidae and Bathyergidae are exclusivelyearly to middle Miocene in age, our phylogenetic pattern suggests that these crownhystricognaths (thryonomyoid ?phiomorphs?) diversified at least by the latestOligocene. The extant Hystricidae would be nested within the extinct PalaeogeneGaudeamuridae and both would share a common ancestry with the New Worldhystricognaths (caviomorphs). In this context, hystricids would appear as a long-livedlineage of modern Old-World hystricognaths. It is noteworthy that the main radiationsobserved here coincide with periods of global climatic changes (MECO, EOBc, andLOW). In a notable implication, the MECO would have also driven the earlybiogeographic history of hystricognaths between South Asia and Africa, but alsobetween Africa and South America.