ISSN:
1573-7055
Keywords:
Mesozoic mammals
;
triconodonts
;
Eupantotheria
;
Late Jurassic
;
Tanzania
;
East Africa
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Records of Mesozoic mammals are extremely rare in Africa. The only previous record from the Upper Jurassic of Africa is a fragmentary mandible without teeth of Brancatherulum tendagurense. Here I report the discovery of two new mammals from the Upper Jurassic of Tendaguru, Tanzania. The fossils were recovered from the Middle Saurian Bed of the Tendaguru Series. A lower molar of a triconodontid mammal is described as Tendagurodon janenschi gen. et sp. nov., and a fragmentary dentary of a eupantothere as Tendagurutherium dietrichi gen. et sp. nov. The eupantothere in particular contributes to documenting the evolution of mammals during the Mesozoic. The posterior portion of the mandible of Tendagurutherium dietrichi gen. et sp. nov. shows that the angular (tympanic) bone was not yet completely separated from the dentary, a previously undocumented stage of eupantotherian middle ear evolution.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1020548010203
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