Evolutionary history of South American Paucituberculata (Mammalia: Marsupialia)

ABELLO, M. A.

Contribuciones del MACN

Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2016 p. 211 - 218

1666-5503

Paucituberculatan marsupials are a group of Metatheria with a long evolutionary history (early Eocene-Recent) exclusively recorded in South America. This contribution presents a synthetic overview of the knowledge on their evolution, paleoecology and paleobiogeography. It is offered the current view of their phylogenetic origin and changes in their taxonomic diversity through time, emphasizing the main steps in their evolution. The paleoecological inferences for species, considering locomotion, diets and body masses, are noted; likewise, some aspects of the historical biogeography of the main paucituberculatan clades, taking into account their geographical ranges during the Cenozoic, are remarked. Finally, the main perspectives to be addressed in the study of paucituberculatans are highlighted