Altungulata

Altungulata[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Mammalia
Superorder:	Preptotheria
(unranked):	Altungulata Prothero & Schoch 1989 Pantomesaxonia Franz 1924
Orders and suborders[2]
Perissodactyla Hippomorpha Tapiromorpha †Titanotheriomorpha Paenungulata Hyracoidea Tethytheria

Altungulata or Pantomesaxonia (sensu Fischer 1986 and later authors) is a clade (mirorder) of ungulate mammals comprising the perissodactyls, hyracoids, and tethytheres (sirenians, proboscideans, and related extinct taxa.)^[2]

The name "Pantomesaxonia" was originally introduced by Franz 1924, a German zoologist and racial theorist. It was resurrected by Fischer 1986 by including sirenians and excluding South American ungulates, phenacodontids, and meniscotheriids from the original concept.^[3]

The name "Altungulata", introduced by Prothero & Schoch 1989 and revised by McKenna & Bell 1997,^[2] was erected as an alternative because the updated concept of "Pantomesaxonia" was regarded too deviant from the original concept.^[3]

Both names are still in use, and, to add to the confusion, various authors assign different ranks to the involved taxa. For example, according to Thewissen & Domning 1992, Phenacodonta (Phenacodontidae and Meniscotheriidae) and Pantomesaxonia (Sirenia, Desmostylia, Proboscidea, Hyracoidea, and Perissodactyla) are sister groups together making up the superorder Paenungulata.^[4]

Altungulata is not supported by molecular evidence unless perissodactyls are excluded (thus dividing Altungulata into Laurasiatheria and Afrotheria), and the validity of the following uniting synapomorphies remain disputed:^[2]

• bilophodonty, two lophs or crests running transversally across the crown of the tooth
• large third molars
• molarization of posterior premolars
• elongated thoracic region with at least 19 vertebrae
• clavicle absent
• similar development of fetal membranes

Classification

The classification below is from Rose 2006, p. 242. Paenungulata together with Macroscelidea, Tubulidentata, and the lipotyphlan families Tenrecidae and Chrysochloridae compose Afrotheria.

• • • • †Radinskya, †Olbitherium

• Order Perissodactyla
  • Suborder Hippomorpha
    • • Superfamily Equoidea

• • • • Equidae
      • †Palaeotheriidae

• • Suborder Tapiromorpha

• • • • †Isectolophidae
  • Infraorder Ceratomorpha

• • • • Superfamily Tapiroidea

• • • • †Helaletidae
      • †Deperetellidae
      • †Lophialetidae
      • Tapiridae

• • • • Superfamily Rhinocerotoidea

• • • • †Hyrachyidae (Hyracodontidae?)
      • †Hyracodontidae
      • †Amynodontidae (Rhinocerotidae?)
      • Rhinocerotidae
  • Infraorder †Ancylopoda
    • • †Eomoropidae
      • †Chalicotheriidae
      • †Lophiodontidae (Tapiroidea?)

• • Suborder †Titanotheriomorpha
    • • Superfamily †Brontotherioidea

• • • • †Brontotheriidae (equoids)
      • †Anchilophidae (palaeotheriid equoids?)

• Order Paenungulata (=Uranotheria)
  • Suborder Hyracoidea (sister taxon of Perissodactyla?)

• • • • †Pliohyracidae
      • Procaviidae

• • Suborder Tethytheria

• • Infraorder †Embrithopoda
    • • †Phenacolophidae
      • †Arsinoitheriidae
  • Infraorder Sirenia
    • • †Prorastomidae
      • †Protosirenidae (Dugongidae?)
      • Dugongidae
      • Trichechidae
  • Infraorder †Desmostylia
    • • †Desmostylidae
  • Infraorder Proboscidea
    • • †Anthracobunidae (tethytheres?)
      • †Phosphatheriidae (Numidotheriidae?)
      • †Numidotheriidae
      • †Moeritheriidae
      • †Barytheriidae
      • †Deinotheriidae
      • †Palaeomastodontidae
      • †Phiomiidae
      • †Hemimastodontidae
      • †Mammutidae
      • †Gomphotheriidae
      • Elephantidae

See also

• Mammal classification

Notes

1. "Mirorder Altungulata". Systema Naturae 2000. Retrieved April 2013.
2. Rose 2006, pp. 241–4
3. Hooker 2005, pp. 201–2
4. "[Bibliography of] Thewissen, Johannes". Sirenia.org. Retrieved May 2013.

References

• Fischer, Martin S. (1986). Die Stellung der Schliefer (Hyracoidea) im phylogenetischen System der Eutheria. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 84. pp. 1–132. ISBN 9783924500214. OCLC 15682192.
• Franz, Victor (1924). Die Geschichte der Organismen. Jena: Verlag G. Fischer.
• Hooker, Jeremy J. (2005). "The phylogenetic, geographic, and temporal origins of the Perissodactyla". In Rose, Kenneth D.; Archibald, J. David. The Rise of Placental Mammals. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801880223. OCLC 55801049.
• McKenna, Malcolm C.; Bell, Susan K. (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231110138. OCLC 37345734.
• Prothero, Donald R.; Schoch, Robert M. (1989). "Origin and Evolution of the Perissodactyla: Summary and Synthesis" (PDF). In Prothero, Donald R.; Schoch, Robert M. The Evolution of Perissodactyls. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 504–37. ISBN 9780195060393. OCLC 19268080. Retrieved April 2013.
• Rose, Kenneth David (2006). The beginning of the age of mammals. Baltimore: JHU Press. ISBN 0801884721.
• Thewissen, J.G.M.; Domning, Daryl Paul (1992). "The role of phenacodontids in the origin of the modern orders of ungulate mammals". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 12 (4): 494–504. doi:10.1080/02724634.1992.10011476. OCLC 4649662166.