Condylarthra

Condylarthra

▪ mammal order
 extinct group of mammals (mammal) that includes the ancestral forms of later, more advanced ungulates (ungulate) (that is, hoofed placental mammals (placental mammal)). The name Condylarthra was once applied to a formal taxonomic order, but it is now used informally to refer to ungulates of Late Cretaceous (Cretaceous Period) and Early Paleogene (Paleogene Period) times. Their greatest diversity occurred during the Paleocene Epoch (65.5–55.8 million years ago), but similar forms persisted into the middle of Oligocene Epoch and died out about 30 million years ago.

      Condylarths appear to have originated in Asia during the Cretaceous Period (145.5–65.5 million years ago). The earliest condylarths were the zhelestids, rodent-sized ungulates from the late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan. A somewhat later North American form is the genus Protungulatum that lived near the end of Cretaceous or early in the Paleocene.

      The condylarths were a diverse group that developed many traits of adaptive significance; they are thought to be the ancestors of the perissodactyls (perissodactyl) and perhaps even the cetaceans (cetacean). Some forms remained relatively small, whereas others attained large size. Phenacodus, a well-known condylarth from the Eocene Epoch (55.8–33.9 million years ago), grew to be as large as a modern tapir. In addition, the teeth of some condylarths appear almost carnivore-like (carnivore); Arctocyon, for example, has long canines and triangular premolars.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Condylarthra — Condylarthra, ausgestorbene Huftiere (s.d.) …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Condylarthra — Phenacodus Als Stammhuftiere (Condylarthra) wird im engeren Sinn eine möglicherweise natürliche Gruppe fossiler Säugetiere aus dem Paläogen Amerikas, Eurasiens und Nordafrikas bezeichnet.[1] Im weiteren Sinn werden weitere, nicht näher… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Condylarthra — Condylarthra …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Condylarthra —   Condilartros Rango temporal: Paleoceno temprano a fines del Oligoceno …   Wikipedia Español

  • Condylarthra — Condylạrthra   [griechisch], fossile Säugetierordnung, Urhuftiere …   Universal-Lexikon

  • condylarthra — con·dy·lar·thra …   English syllables

  • condylarthra — …   Useful english dictionary

  • κονδύλαρθρα — (condylarthra). Τάξη οπληφόρων θηλαστικών που έχουν εξαφανιστεί. Τα κ. έζησαν κυρίως κατά το παλαιόκαινο, αν και ορισμένες μορφές επέζησαν και στο ηώκαινο. Τα κ., που θεωρούνται προγονικές μορφές των σύγχρονων oπληφόρων, είχαν κοντά μέλη, πόδια… …   Dictionary of Greek

  • Кондиляртры — (Condylarthra)         отряд древнейших копытных млекопитающих. Остатки К. обнаружены в отложениях палеогена Евразии и Северной Америки. По строению скелета близки к древним хищным креодонтам (См. Креодонты), которые, вероятно, были их предками.… …   Большая советская энциклопедия

  • Phenacodus — Taxobox name = Phenacodus fossil range = Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Condylarthra familia = Phenacodontidae genus = Phenacodus subdivision ranks = Speciescite journal | author =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”