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Obscure Taxa; For interesting or obscure organisms you'd like to share.
Topic Started: Dec 14 2016, 09:46 PM (48,937 Views)
Fazaner
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Staying on the prehistoric crocodylamorphs, i here present you to armadillosuchus from Brazil that not only look like its namesake, but also most likely held similar niche.Posted Image
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Carlos
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Not really obscure when it's the first thing people think off when it comes to Mesozoic crocodylomorphs.

Now this:

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Is more like it.

Goniopholids are often dismissed as similar to modern crocodiles, but they have an assortment of weird traits from ventral scutes, forelimbs longer than the hindlimbs and forwardly faced eyes:

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Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

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http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

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Rodlox
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JohnFaa
Jun 7 2017, 07:07 AM
Not really obscure when it's the first thing people think off when it comes to Mesozoic crocodylomorphs.
no its not; i've heard of armadillosuchus exactly once - and i thought it was permian, triassic, or eocene.

and the Spinosaurus and Stomatasuchus earned their martyrdom in the pursuit ofthe destruction of evil.
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Carlos
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Yaverlestes, a British symmetrodont from the Barremian. Symmetrodonts are a whole are pretty unappreciated, but this is a pretty neat specimen with some gorgeous leaf-like teeth.

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Edited by Carlos, Jun 7 2017, 09:17 AM.
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

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Sphenodon
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Calcareous

Branchinecta gaini is, at first glance, a fairly unremarkable species of fairy shrimp. At roughly 16 millimeters in length, it is a rather average-sized fairy shrimp; its diet is also typical for an anostracan, being comprised mostly of algae and bacteria. Its intrigue comes not from these factors, but rather from where it lives - for Branchinecta gaini is the largest freshwater animal known to inhabit the Antarctic continent, being found relatively commonly throughout the northern half of the Antarctic Peninsula (as well as on some subantarctic islands and the southernmost tip of South America).

During the summer, the multitude of small lakes and ponds interspersed throughout the species' environment thaw, at which point the once-dormant eggs of the shrimp hatch and eventually develop into adult shrimp. Under optimal conditions (such as those found on the more temperate of the subantarctic islands), specimens can live for up to a whopping six months, though those found on the Antarctic Peninsula invariably die off long before then when their home lakes freeze over at the short summer's end. Their eggs, nonetheless, go on to survive the winter and hatch out the following spring.

Another fact of note is that Branchinecta gaini's unique geographical positioning has allowed it to provide some of the only known branchinectid paleontological records known in the form of frozen eggs. While none of these records are older than the mid-Holocene, they nonetheless show that the species was once found on James Ross Island up to at least 4,200 years ago, but went extinct there following the end of the Holocene Climatic Optimum and the thawing periods there subsequently being too short for the species to reproduce. Remains from approximately 5,500 years ago are known from Signy Island of the South Orkney Islands, where the species remains extant.

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lamna
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Hmm, not sure if this place to do it, but I will be bringing up some obscure taxa. Time to talk about saltation.

If you've ever looked at one of my rare projects, you'll know I like adding hopping animals. This might seem a bit odd, after all most animals we're used to don't hop, the one ones that probably spring to mind immediately are kangaroos. But hopping is a supremely efficient method of locomotion that has evolved numerous times.

This post I'll cover the marsupials.

Firstly, Macropodidae, kangaroos and wallabies. They are phenomenally successful group, from red kangaroo, bounding across the outback to tree kangaroos browsing in the treetops of New Guinea, which still hop when they come to the ground.



But Kangaroos are far from the only marsupials to hop. Two other families in Diprotodontia also hop, Potoroidae and Hypsiprymnodontidae.

Potoroidae, bettongs, potoroos and two of the rat-kangaroos. They are substantially smaller than most kangaroos and wallabies, about the size of rabbits. They are herbivores or omnivores, but fungi are a major part of most of their diets. The Long-footed potoroo eats little else, 91% of its diet is made up of truffles.
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Hypsiprymnodontidae is made up of a single living member, the Musky rat-kangaroo. A small, unassuming omnivore living in the rainforests of Northern Australia.
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However, it has some extinct relatives that were much larger. Propleopus was a genus of rat-kangaroo around the size of a grey kangaroo, that died out alongside the recent Australia Megafauna, while Ekaltadeta, which was a little smaller than a Red-necked wallaby living during the Miocene. They were also omnivores, and likely hunting smaller vertebrates.

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Next, bilbies and bandicoots, a fascinating group because they have actually independently evolved a placenta, not as developed as in placental mammals. This might actually lead them away from hopping in the end, hopping is an efficient way to move while still having mobile hands, which joey marsupials need to climb to their mother's pouch. This limitation means that most marsupial cannot develop highly modified forelimbs, hooves, wings, flippers, like placental mammals can.

Bandicoots have a more quadrupedal stance than kangaroos, more like a rabbit. The extinct Pig-footed bandicoot actually had small hooves and may have run more than hopped.

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Finally, among the Dasyuridae which we discussed last time, is the Kultarr. These small insectivores are similar to other "marsupial mice". They hop about the outback, and can reach speeds of almost 14kph (8.5mph), not bad for a animal that can comfortably sit in your hand.
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Edited by lamna, Jun 9 2017, 09:37 AM.
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Carlos
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lamna
Jun 9 2017, 09:34 AM
Next, bilbies and bandicoots, a fascinating group because they have actually independently evolved a placenta, not as developed as in placental mammals. This might actually lead them away from hopping in the end, hopping is an efficient way to move while still having mobile hands, which joey marsupials need to climb to their mother's pouch. This limitation means that most marsupial cannot develop highly modified forelimbs, hooves, wings, flippers, like placental mammals can.

As the illustrated Chaeropus shows, I doubt this is the case.

More so because echidnas, which also need to climb to their mother's pouch, actually are more pressured to do such since they need to constantly be on the move in search of mammary glands... yet their forelimbs are more specialised.

Then there's Docofossor, which has forelimbs lacking in grasping motion altogether. Yet, like all docodonts, it also has an epipubic bone...
Edited by Carlos, Jun 9 2017, 10:01 AM.
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Carliro

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lamna
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Onto placental mammals, but not leaving Australia just yet. Rodents, I just can't leave them alone.

Ten species of Hopping mouse lived in Australia until recently, sadly half of them have gone extinct. There are Old Endemic rodents, meaning their ancestors are Muridae (Mice) that arrived during the Miocene.

Enjoy this short documentary on the Spinifex Hopping Mouse.



Interestingly, the Mitchell's hopping mouse is being evaluated for domestication, and are already kept as pets by some people.



Sticking with the Mouse family, we have the hopping animal you are most likely to have owned or handled, the Gerbils. They are a diverse group, living across Afro-Eurasia with at least 110 species.

One of the bigger ones is the Great Gerbil, which interesting is a reservoir for Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that caused the Black Death.

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Moving away from true mice, but staying within Muroidea, we have the family Dipodidae. This family includes the famous desert Jerboas of the dry lands of North Africa and Asia



But it also includes the Birch mice of Eurasia.
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And the Jumping mice, one species lives in China, the rest in North America.



Also living in North America you have the Kangaroo rats, related to gophers and more distantly to beavers.



The final rodent for now, the African springhares. (Though I'm sure I've missed some rodent that hops)


It's a bit debatable weather to include hare and rabbits, since are quadrupeds, though they have adapted to jump very well.

Among extinct animals Leptictida, including the famous Leptictidium were likely hoppers (though that groups is probably a paraphyleticmess).
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Scleromochlus and archosaur related to pterosaurs was also likely a hopper.
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Finally, a bit of food for thought. Watch birds, especially small passerine birds. Lots of them hop too, especially arboreal ones. Maybe some dinosaurs hopped too.

BOING.
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Carlos
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Also, several Djadochtatherioideans are thought to have been hoppers.
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Carliro

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LittleLazyLass
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Who the hell thought Djadochtatherioidea was an acceptable name?
totally not British, b-baka!
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Carlos
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It is a little hard to spell, yes.

According to this paper the taxa Nemegtbaatar, Catopsbaatar and Kryptobaatar are all hoppers. Further vindicated by this other paper.
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

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lamna
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JohnFaa
Jun 9 2017, 10:00 AM
lamna
Jun 9 2017, 09:34 AM
Next, bilbies and bandicoots, a fascinating group because they have actually independently evolved a placenta, not as developed as in placental mammals. This might actually lead them away from hopping in the end, hopping is an efficient way to move while still having mobile hands, which joey marsupials need to climb to their mother's pouch. This limitation means that most marsupial cannot develop highly modified forelimbs, hooves, wings, flippers, like placental mammals can.

As the illustrated Chaeropus shows, I doubt this is the case.

More so because echidnas, which also need to climb to their mother's pouch, actually are more pressured to do such since they need to constantly be on the move in search of mammary glands... yet their forelimbs are more specialised.

Then there's Docofossor, which has forelimbs lacking in grasping motion altogether. Yet, like all docodonts, it also has an epipubic bone...
I just using what you taught me. You made me this way!

Also Kultaars are perfect little angels.

Living Fossils

Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural


34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur.
T.Neo
 
Are nipples or genitals necessary, lamna?
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Sheather
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I recall Leptictidium was recently suggested to have been more likely to run and walk than hop, wasn't it?

Gerbils aren't bipedal either, though morphologically are intermediate between jerboas and hamster-type animals and could go down that route smoothly.
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LittleLazyLass
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Proud quilt in a bag

To my knowledge the leptictid locomotion problem is something we don't really know the answer for yet. It'd be interesting if they were walkers though, being able to look back at Walking With Beasts and seeing just how much our understanding of all those creatures has changed.
totally not British, b-baka!
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I don't even really like this song that much but the title is pretty relatable sometimes, I guess.
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Nembrotha
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Just learned about these guys today.

The Grylloblattidae, commonly referred to as Ice Crawlers, are wingless extremophile insects that live in the leaf litter in very cold places such as mountains. They prefer cold temperatures, and can actually die if the temperature goes above 10C. They have been around since the Triassic, and are mostly nocturnal detrivores, but can also feed on plants. Their eyes are reduced, some actually lack eyes. They also have a very slow life cycle, taking seven years to mature. 25 species are known, 11 in North America and the rest live in Asia.
Posted Image
Grylloblatta campodeiformis

There wasn't much else I could find on these guys.
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