Over the last two decades, the study of new fossil material has yielded major insights into the evolution of Australia's marsupial carnivores. This material includes the first complete or nearcomplete crania for Tertiary representatives of Dasyuridae, Thylacinidae and Propleopinae (Hypsiprymnodontidae), as well as the first skulls known for the thylacoleonid genera, Priscileo and Wakaleo. Also ...

The alkenone-pCO2 methodology has been used to reconstruct the partial pressure of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) for the past 45 million years of Earth's history (Middle Eocene to Pleistocene epochs). The present long-term CO2 record is a composite of data from multiple ocean localities that express a wide range of oceanographic and algal growth conditions that potentially bias CO2 ...

[1] We explore the applicability of paired Mg/Ca and O/O measurements on benthic foraminifera from Southern Ocean site 747 to paleoceanographic reconstructions on pre-Pleistocene timescales. We focus on the late Oligocene through Pleistocene (27–0 Ma) history of paleotemperatures and the evolution of the dO values of seawater (dOsw) at a temporal resolution of 100–200 kyr. Absolute paleotempera...

The Grenada Basin separates the active Lesser Antilles Arc from Aves Ridge, described as a Cretaceous-Paleocene remnant of “Great Caribbean.” Although various tectonic models have been proposed for opening Basin, data on which they rely are insufficient to reach definitive conclusions. This study presents, large set deep-penetrating multichannel seismic reflection and dredge samples acquired du...

Global climate shifts and ecological flexibility are two major factors that may affect rates of speciation and extinction across clades. Here, we connect past climate to changes in diet and diversification dynamics of ruminant mammals. Using novel versions of Multi-State Speciation and Extinction models, we explore the most likely scenarios for evolutionary transitions among diets in this clade...

Abstract The present topography of Tian Shan is related to the India-Asia collision, whereas mechanisms for topographic growth remain at center debate partly due poorly constrained onset timing Cenozoic tectonic deformation. Our new apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) data in northern Chinese suggest that rapid cooling commenced 20.2±4.9 Ma along margin, which consistent with published fission-track from s...

The record of extinct African metatherians (Mammalia, Theria) is scanty, restricted in time (Eocene–Miocene), and its taxonomy still subject debate. A review all metatherians, or alleged known up to now, led us the recognition only three taxa referable this group: (1)  Kasserinotherium tunisiense  (Peradectoidea?), from early Eocene Tunisia; (2)  Peratherium africanum &nbsp...

Bandicoots (Peramelemorphia) are a major order of australidelphian marsupials, which despite a fossil record spanning at least the past 25 million years and a pandemic Australasian range, remain poorly understood in terms of their evolutionary relationships. Many living peramelemorphians are critically endangered, making this group an important focus for biological and conservation research. To...

Simulations suggest that molecular clock analyses can correctly identify the root of a tree even when the clock assumption is severely violated. Clock-based rooting of phylogenies may be particularly useful when outgroup rooting is problematic. Here, we explore relaxed-clock rooting in the Acer/Dipteronia clade of Sapindaceae, which comprises genera of highly uneven species richness and problem...