Morphological Studies in Fossil and Extant Xenarthra

FARIÑA R.A.; VIZCAÍNO, S.F.; STORCH G.

Volumen Especial Senckenbergiana Biologica 83 (1)

Año: 2003 p. 101

3-510-61358-9

Xenarthra, i.e. extant or fossil sloths, anteaters and armadillos, with their ?strange joints? which refer to extra articulations in dorsal vertebrae, are probably the most peculiar group of mammals. They can be considered as characteristic members of the South American Cenozoic faunas. They are also present in the Miocene and Pleistocene of North America, and there is a controversial occurrence of a genus in the Eocene of Europe which could be representative of the group. In regards with their diversity and strangeness, and also enigmatic relationships with other orders of mammals, very few specialists are concerned about them. So this book, where most of the ?xenarthrologists? have given a chapter, is of special interest. These 11 papers were presented during a symposium hold in July 2001 at Tubingen. Thanks to all of them for giving here an overview, a state of the art for the discipline for which they were in charge. After an introduction by R.A. Farina, S.F.Vizcaino and G. Storch, the topics considered are: a note on nomenclature by R.A. Farina and S.F. Vizcaino; xenarthran skeletal anatomy (what is primitive and what is derived) by H.G. McDonald; synthesis about genetic studies by J.E. Garcia; phylogeny of Xenarthra by T.J. Gaudin; biomechanics studies by M.S. Bargo; possible Old World ?Edentates? (= Xenarthra) by G. Storch; what gait for Megatherium Cuvier, one of the most famous and important fossil for the beginning of paleontology when discovered at the end of the 18th century by R.E Blanco and A. Czerwonogora; morphofunctional studies concerning humerus of Megatheriinae and manus of giant fossil ground sloth by G. De Iuliis; body mass estimation of Pleistocene ground sloths by P. Christiansen and R.A. Farina. So this book complements and updates the classical synthesis edited by G.G. Montgomery (1985)1 and all mammalogists will be happy to have it in their library. J.-L. Hartenberger