TY - JOUR
T1 - Climbing adaptations in the early Eocene mammal Chriacus and the origin of Artiodactyla
AU - Rose, Kenneth D.
PY - 1987
Y1 - 1987
N2 - A virtually complete articulated skeleton of the arctocyonid Chriacus, recently found in northern Wyoming, is one of the most intact early Eocene mammal skeletons ever found. It exhibits numerous adaptations characteristic of mammals that climb, including strong bony crests and processes (reflecting powerful musculature), ability for considerable forearm supination, a highly mobile ankle joint, plantigrade feet, curved and transversely compressed claws, and a long, possibly semiprehensile tail. These features contrast sharply with those of the oldest artiodactyls and indicate that Chriacus or a similar arctocyonid was not ancestral to the Artiodactyla, as has been proposed.
AB - A virtually complete articulated skeleton of the arctocyonid Chriacus, recently found in northern Wyoming, is one of the most intact early Eocene mammal skeletons ever found. It exhibits numerous adaptations characteristic of mammals that climb, including strong bony crests and processes (reflecting powerful musculature), ability for considerable forearm supination, a highly mobile ankle joint, plantigrade feet, curved and transversely compressed claws, and a long, possibly semiprehensile tail. These features contrast sharply with those of the oldest artiodactyls and indicate that Chriacus or a similar arctocyonid was not ancestral to the Artiodactyla, as has been proposed.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.3426662
DO - 10.1126/science.3426662
M3 - Article
C2 - 3426662
AN - SCOPUS:0023159798
VL - 236
SP - 314
EP - 316
JO - Science
JF - Science
SN - 0036-8075
IS - 4799
ER -