Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Skull of Stephanomys and a Review of Malpaisomys Relationships (Rodentia: Muridae): Taxonomic Incongruence in Murids

  • Published:
Journal of Mammalian Evolution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The cranial morphology of the extinct murid genus Stephanomys, previously known only by dental remains, is described here on the basis of partial skulls of three species of Pliocene age. Important cranial characters of the genus are a robust rostrum, a high zygoma, a wide zygomatic arch, a narrow interorbit, a large orbit, and an optic foramen in the backward position. In addition to some dental characters, Stephanomys shares most of these cranial traits with the extinct Malpaisomys from the Canary Islands. Some of these traits may be linked to the development of large eyes and life in a rocky environment. The peculiar dental pattern of Stephanomys (stephanodonty) is also present in some recent murids (Oenomys and Thamnomys) having a different skull morphology. A comparison with nine other extant genera of murids verified the relationship among Malpaisomys, Stephanomys, and Acomys, supporting our previous conclusion. Phenetic and cladistic analyses of 17 cranial and 23 dental characters show that skull morphology is phylogenetically informative but highly convergent and incongruent with other partial evidence based on dental and biochemical characters. The combined analyses of skull and teeth illustrate a case of mosaic evolution in murids.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

LITERATURE CITED

  • Aguilar, J. P., Michaux, J., Delannoy, J. J., and Guendon, J. L. (1993). A Late Pliocene rodent fauna from Alozaina (Málaga, Spain). Scripta Geol. 103: 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bachelet, B., and Castillo Ruiz, C. (1990). Radiation évolutive et lignées chez les Stephanomys (Rodentia, Mammalia), muridés dominants du Pliocène d'Europe sud-occidentale. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris II 311: 493–499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boye, P., Hutterer, R., López-Martínez, N., and Michaux, J. (1992). A reconstruction of the Lava mouse (Malpaisomys insularis), an extinct rodent of the Canary Islands, Z. Säugetierkunde 57: 29–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carleton, M. D., and Musser, G. G. (1989). Systematic studies of oryzomyine rodents (Muridae, Sigmodontinae): A synopsis of Microryzomys. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 191: 1–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catzeflis, F. M. (1990). DNA hybridization as a guide to phylogenies: Raw data in muroid rodents. In: Evolution of Subterranean Mammals at the Organismal and Molecular Levels, E. Nevo and O. A. Reig, eds., pp. 317–345, Wiley-Liss, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chevret, P., Denys, C., Jaeger, J.-J., Michaux, J., and Catzeflis, F. (1993a). Molecular and paleontological aspects of the tempo and mode of evolution in Otomys (Muridae: Mammalia). Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 21: 123–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chevret, P., Denys, C., Jaeger, J.-J., Michaux, J., and Catzeflis, F. M. (1993b). Molecular evidence that the spiny mouse (Acomys) is more closely related to gerbils (Gerbillinae) than to true mice (Murinae). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 3433–3436.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coiffait, B., Coiffait, P.-E., and Jaeger, J.-J. (1985). Decouverte en Afrique du Nord des genres Stephanomys, et Castillomys (Muridae) dans un nouveau gisement de microvertébrés néogènes d'Algérie orientale: Argoub Kemellal. Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch. B 88: 167–183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cordy, J.-M. (1976). Essai sur la microévolution du genre Stephanomys, Unpublished Thesis, University of Liège, Liège.

  • Cordy, J.-M. (1978). Caractéristiques générales de la microévolution du genre Stephanomys (Rodentia, Muridae). Bull. soc. Géol. France 7 22(6): 815–819.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crusafont, M., Aguirre, E., and Michaux, J. (1969). Un nouveau gisement de mammifères d'âge Villafranchien inférieur (Pliocène terminal) découvert à Layna (Soria, Espagne). C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris D 268: 2174–2176.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Giuli, C. (1989). The rodents of the Brisighella latest Miocene fauna. Boll. Soc. Paleont. Ital. 28: 197–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denys, C., and Michaux, J. (1992). La troisième molaire supérieure chez les Muridae d'Afrique tropicale et le cas das genres Acomys, Uranomys et Lophuromys. Bonn. Zool. Beitr. 43: 367–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denys, C., Michaux, J., Petter, F., Aguilar, J.-P., and Jaeger, J.-J. (1992). Molar morphology as a clue to the phylogenetic relationship of Acomys to the Murinae. Israel J. Zool. 38: 253–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Denys, C., Michaux, J., Catzeflis, F., Ducrocq, S., and Chevret, P. (1995). Morphological and molecular data against the monophyly of Dendromurinae (Muridae: Rodentia). Bonner Zool. Beitr. 45: 173–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Déperet, C. (1890). Les animaux Pliocènes du Roussillon. Mem. Soc. Géol. France 3: 1–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Esteban Aenlle, J., and López-Martínez, N. (1987). Les Arvicolidés (Rodentia, Mammalia) du Villanyen récent de Casablanca I (Castellon, Espagne). Géobios 20: 591–623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farris, J. S. (1988). HENNIG86 Reference, Version 1.5, published by the author.

  • Felsenstein, J. (1987). PHYLIP Manual, Version 3.0, University of Washington, Seattle.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gmelig Meyling, C., and Michaux, J. (1973). Le genre Stephanomys Schaub, 1938 (Rodentia, Mammalia); son évolution au Pliocène supérieur. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 277: 1441–1444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillis, D. M. (1987). Molecular versus morphological approaches to systematics. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 18: 23–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillis, D. M. (1991). Discriminating between phylogenetic signal and ranodm noise in DNA sequences. In: Phylogenetic Analysis of DNA Sequences, M. M. Miyamoto and J. Cracraft, eds., pp. 278–294, Oxford University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutterer, R., López-Martínez, N., and Michaux, J. (1988). A new rodent from Quaternary deposits of the Canary Islands and its relationships with Neogene and recent murids of Europe and Africa. Palaeovertebrata 18: 241–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, L. L. (1978). Fossil rodents (Rhizomyidae and Muridae) from Neogene Siwalik Deposits Pakistan. Mus. North. Ariz. Press Bull. 52: 1–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, L. L., and Pilbeam, D. (1980). Of mice and men: Fossil-based divergence dates and molecular “clocks.” J. Hum. Evol. 9: 551–555.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, L. L., Flynn, L. J., and Downs, W. R. (1989). Neogene of southern Asia. In: Papers on Fossil Rodents in Honour of Albert Elmer Wood, C. C. Black and M. R. Dawson, eds., pp. 157–177, Los Angeles County Museum Spec. Publ. 33.

  • Jaeger, J.-J., Tong, H., and Denys, C. (1986) Age de la divergence Mus-Rattus: Comparison des données paléontologiques et moléculaires. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 302: 917–922.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kluge, A. G., and Wolf, A. J. (1993). Cladistics: What's in a word? Cladistics 9: 183–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luckett, W. P., and Hartenberger, J.-L. (1993). Monophyly or polyphyly of the order Rodentia: Possible conflict between morphological and molecular interpretations. J. Mammal. Evol. 1: 127–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaux, J. (1965). Découverte d'un remplissage karstique à micromammifères d'âge Pliocène terminal à Seynes (Gard). C.R. Somm. Soc. Géol. France 7: 218–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaux, J. (1971). Muridae (Rodentia) néogènes d'Europe sud-occidentale: Evolution et rapports avec les formes actuelles. Paléobiol. Continentale 2: 1–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaux, J., Hutterer, R., and López-Martínez, N. (1991). New fossil faunas from Fuerteventura, Canary Islands: Evidence for a Pleistocene age of endemic rodents and shrews. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris II 312: 801–806.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mickevitch, M. F. (1978). Taxonomic congruence. Syst. Zool. 27: 143–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgelard, C. (1992). Albumin preservation in fossil bones and systematics of Malpaisomys insularis (Muridae, Rodentia), an extinct rodent of the Canary Islands. Hist. Biol. 6: 293–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musser, G. G. (1970). Species-limits of Rattus brahma, a murid rodent of northeastern India and northern Burma. Am. Mus. Novitates 2406: 1–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musser, G. G., and Carleton, M. (1993): Family Muridae. In: Mammal Species of the World, A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd ed., D. E. Wilson and D. A. Reeder, eds., pp. 501–755, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musser, G. G., and Heaney, L. R. (1992). Philippine rodents: Definitions of Tarsomys and Limnomys plus a preliminary assessment of phylogenetic patterns among native murines (Murinae, Muridae). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 211: 1–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musser, G. G., and Newcomb, C. (1983). Malaysian murids and the giant rat of Sumatra. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 174: 327–598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nixon, K. C., and Carpenter, J. M. (1993). On outgroups. Cladistics 9: 413–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petter, F. (1983). Eléments d'une révision des Acomys africains. Un sous-genre nouveau, Peracomys Petter et Roche 1981 (Rongeurs, Muridés). Ann. Mus. Afr. Cent. Sci. Zool. 237: 109–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renaud, S., Michaux, J., Jaeger, J. J., and Auffray, J.-C. (1996). Fourier analysis applied to Stephanomys (Rodentia, Muridae) molars: Nonprogressive evolutionary pattern in a gradual lineage. Paleobiology 22: 255–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rieppel, O. (1989). Character incongruence: noise or data? Abh. Naturwiss. Ver. Hamburg 28: 53–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz Bustos, A. (1986). Análisis del proceso evolutivo del género Stephanomys (Rodentia, Muridae). Paleomammalia 1(1): 1–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaub, S. (1938). Tertiäre und quartäre Murinae. Abh. Schweiz. Paläont. Gesell. 61: 1–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swofford, D. L. (1990). PAUP: Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony, Nat. Hist. Surv. Champaign, IL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swofford, D. L. (1991). When are phylogeny estimates from molecular and morphological data incongruen? In: Phylogenetic Analysis of DNA Sequences, M. M. Miyamoto and J. Cracraft, eds., pp. 295–333, Oxford University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van de Weerd, A. (1976). Rodent faunas of the Mio-Pliocene continental sediments of the Teruel-Alfambra region, Spain. Utrecht Micropal. Bull. Spec. Publ. 2: 1–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, W. C. (1991). Congruence among data sets: A Bayesian approach. In: Phylogenetic Analysis of DNA Sequences, M. M. Miyamoto and J. Cracraft, eds., pp. 334–346, Oxford University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. N. López-Martínez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Michaux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Hutterer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

López-Martínez, N., Michaux, J. & Hutterer, R. The Skull of Stephanomys and a Review of Malpaisomys Relationships (Rodentia: Muridae): Taxonomic Incongruence in Murids. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 5, 185–215 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020508428859

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020508428859

Search

Navigation