RT Journal Article
T1 The Skull of Stephanomys and a Review of MalpaisomysRelationships (Rodentia: Muridae): Taxonomic Incongruente in Murids
A1 López Martínez, María Nieves
A1 Michaux, Jacques
A1 Hutterer, R.
AB The cranial morphology of the extinct murid genus Stephanomys, previously known only bydental remains, is described here on the basis of partial skulls of three species of Pliocene age.Important cranial charactets of the genus ate a robust rostmm, a high zygoma, a wide zygomaticarch, a narrow interorbit, a large orbit, and an optic foramen in the backward position. Inaddition to some dental characters, Stephanomys shares most of these cranial traits with theextinct Malpaisomys from the Canary Islands. Some of these traits may be linked to the developmentof large eyes and life in a rocky environment. The peculiar dental pattem of Stephanomys(stephanodonty) is also present in some recent murids (Oenomys and Thamnomys) havinga different skull morphology. A comparison with nine other extant genera of murids verifiedthe relationship among Malpaisomys, Stephanomys, and Acomys, supporting our pmvious conclusion.Phenetic and cladistic analyses of 17 cranial and 23 dental characters show that skullmorphology is phylogenetically informative but highly convergent and incongtuent with otherpartial evidente based on dental and biochemical characters. The combined analyses of skulland teeth illustrate a case of mosaic evolution in murids.
PB Springer Verlag
SN 1064-7554
YR 1998
FD 1998
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/56743
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/56743
LA eng
DS Docta Complutense
RD 15 dic 2025