All Outputs (34)

A nearly complete juvenile skull of the marsupial Sparassocynus derivatus from the Pliocene of Argentina, the affinities of “sparassocynids”, and the diversification of opossums (Marsupialia; Didelphimorphia; Didelphidae) (2019)
Journal Article
Beck, R., & Taglioretti, M. (2020). A nearly complete juvenile skull of the marsupial Sparassocynus derivatus from the Pliocene of Argentina, the affinities of “sparassocynids”, and the diversification of opossums (Marsupialia; Didelphimorphia; Didelphidae). Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 27, 385-417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-019-09471-y

“Sparassocynids” are small, carnivorously-adapted marsupials known from the late Miocene and Pliocene of South America, thought to be relatives of living didelphid opossums but of otherwise uncertain phylogenetic relationships. Here, we describe a... Read More about A nearly complete juvenile skull of the marsupial Sparassocynus derivatus from the Pliocene of Argentina, the affinities of “sparassocynids”, and the diversification of opossums (Marsupialia; Didelphimorphia; Didelphidae).

An emerging consensus in the evolution, phylogeny, and systematics of marsupials and their fossil relatives (Metatheria) (2019)
Journal Article
Eldridge, M., Beck, R., Croft, D., Travouillon, K., & Fox, B. (2019). An emerging consensus in the evolution, phylogeny, and systematics of marsupials and their fossil relatives (Metatheria). Journal of Mammalogy, 100(3), 802-837. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyz018

Marsupials and their fossil relatives, which collectively comprise Metatheria, have been of scientific interest for centuries, with many aspects of their evolution and systematics subject to intense research and debate. Here, we review progress over... Read More about An emerging consensus in the evolution, phylogeny, and systematics of marsupials and their fossil relatives (Metatheria).

Improvements in the fossil record may largely resolve current conflicts between morphological and molecular estimates of mammal phylogeny (2018)
Journal Article
Beck, R., & Baillie, C. (2018). Improvements in the fossil record may largely resolve current conflicts between morphological and molecular estimates of mammal phylogeny. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285(1893), 20181632. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1632

Phylogenies of mammals based on morphological data continue to show several major areas of conflict with the current consensus view of their relationships, which is based largely on molecular data. This raises doubts as to whether current morphologic... Read More about Improvements in the fossil record may largely resolve current conflicts between morphological and molecular estimates of mammal phylogeny.

A new, large-bodied omnivorous bat (Noctilionoidea: Mystacinidae) reveals lost morphological and ecological diversity since the Miocene in New Zealand (2018)
Journal Article
Hand, S., Beck, R., Archer, M., Simmons, N., Gunnell, G., Scofield, R., …Worthy, T. (2018). A new, large-bodied omnivorous bat (Noctilionoidea: Mystacinidae) reveals lost morphological and ecological diversity since the Miocene in New Zealand. Scientific reports, 8(1), 235. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18403-w

A new genus and species of fossil bat is described from New Zealand's only pre-Pleistocene Cenozoic terrestrial fauna, the early Miocene St Bathans Fauna of Central Otago, South Island. Bayesian total evidence phylogenetic analysis places this new So... Read More about A new, large-bodied omnivorous bat (Noctilionoidea: Mystacinidae) reveals lost morphological and ecological diversity since the Miocene in New Zealand.

Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia) (2017)
Journal Article
Kealy, S., & Beck, R. (2017). Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia). BMC Evolutionary Biology, 17(240), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-1090-0

Background The order Dasyuromorphia is a diverse radiation of faunivorous marsupials, comprising >80 modern species in Australia and New Guinea. It includes dasyurids, the numbat (the myrmecobiid Myrmecobius fasciatus) and the recently extinct thyl... Read More about Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia).

Skeleton of an unusual cat-sized marsupial relative (Metatheria: Marsupialiformes) from the middle Eocene (Lutetian: 44-43 million years ago) of Turkey (2017)
Journal Article
Murat Maga, A., & Beck, R. (2017). Skeleton of an unusual cat-sized marsupial relative (Metatheria: Marsupialiformes) from the middle Eocene (Lutetian: 44-43 million years ago) of Turkey. PLoS ONE, 12(8), e0181712. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181712

We describe a near-complete, three-dimensionally preserved skeleton of a metatherian (relative of modern marsupials) from the middle Eocene (Lutetian: 44–43 million years ago) Lülük member of the Uzunçarşıdere Formation, central Turkey. With an estim... Read More about Skeleton of an unusual cat-sized marsupial relative (Metatheria: Marsupialiformes) from the middle Eocene (Lutetian: 44-43 million years ago) of Turkey.

The skull of Epidolops ameghinoi from the early Eocene Itaboraí fauna, southeastern Brazil, and the affinities of the extinct marsupialiform order Polydolopimorphia (2016)
Journal Article
Brazil, and the affinities of the extinct marsupialiform order Polydolopimorphia. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 24(4), 373-414. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-016-9357-6

The skull of the polydolopimorphian marsupialiform Epidolops ameghinoi is described in detail for the first time, based on a single well-preserved cranium and associated left and right dentaries plus additional craniodental fragments, all from the... Read More about The skull of Epidolops ameghinoi from the early Eocene Itaboraí fauna, southeastern Brazil, and the affinities of the extinct marsupialiform order Polydolopimorphia.

Cranial shape variation and phylogenetic relationships of extinct and extant Old World leaf-nosed bats (2016)
Journal Article
Wilson, L., Hand, S., López-Aguirre, C., Archer, M., Black, K., Beck, R., …Wroe, S. (2016). Cranial shape variation and phylogenetic relationships of extinct and extant Old World leaf-nosed bats. Alcheringa, 40(4), 509-524. https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2016.1196434

The leaf-nosed bats in Hipposideridae and Rhinonycteridae currently have an Old World tropical to subtropical distribution, with a fossil record extending back to the middle Eocene of Europe. The Riversleigh World Heritage fossil site in northwestern... Read More about Cranial shape variation and phylogenetic relationships of extinct and extant Old World leaf-nosed bats.

A new family of bizarre durophagous carnivorous marsupials from Miocene deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland (2016)
Journal Article
Archer, M., Hand, S., Black, K., Beck, R., Arena, D., Wilson, L., …Hung, T. (2016). A new family of bizarre durophagous carnivorous marsupials from Miocene deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland. Scientific reports, 6, 26911. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep26911

A new specimen of the bizarrely specialised Malleodectes mirabilis from middle Miocene deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area provides the first and only information about the molar dentition of this strange group of extinct marsupials. Apar... Read More about A new family of bizarre durophagous carnivorous marsupials from Miocene deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland.

Mammalian evolution : a jurassic spark (2015)
Journal Article
Lee, M., & Beck, R. (2015). Mammalian evolution : a jurassic spark. Current Biology, 25(17), R759-R761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.008

There is increasing evidence that early mammals evolved rapidly into a range of body forms and habitats, right under the noses of the dinosaurs.

Mammalian lineages and the biostratigraphy and biochronology of Cenozoic faunas from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia (2015)
Journal Article
Arena, D., Travouillon, K., Beck, R., Black, K., Gillespie, A., Myers, T., …Hand, S. (2015). Mammalian lineages and the biostratigraphy and biochronology of Cenozoic faunas from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia. Lethaia, 49(1), 43-60. https://doi.org/10.1111/let.12131

Lineage zones within nine contemporaneous mammalian lineages represented in the Cenozoic fossil vertebrate record from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in northern Australia are used to resolve a series of faunal intervals from the Late Oligocene... Read More about Mammalian lineages and the biostratigraphy and biochronology of Cenozoic faunas from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia.

Ancient dates or accelerated rates? Morphological clocks and the antiquity of placental mammals (2014)
Journal Article
Beck, R., & Lee, M. (2014). Ancient dates or accelerated rates? Morphological clocks and the antiquity of placental mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281(1793), 20141278. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1278

Analyses of a comprehensive morphological character matrix of mammals using ‘relaxed’ clock models (which simultaneously estimate topology, divergence dates and evolutionary rates), either alone or in combination with an 8.5 kb nuclear sequence da... Read More about Ancient dates or accelerated rates? Morphological clocks and the antiquity of placental mammals.

Three new Miocene species of musky rat-kangaroos (Hypsiprymnodontidae, Macropodoidea) : description, phylogenetics and paleoecology (2014)
Journal Article
Bates, H., Travouillon, K., Cooke, B., Beck, R., Hand, S., & Archer, M. (2014). Three new Miocene species of musky rat-kangaroos (Hypsiprymnodontidae, Macropodoidea) : description, phylogenetics and paleoecology. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 34(2), 383-396. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2013.812098

Three new species of the macropodoid genus Hypsiprymnodon are described from early to middle Miocene fossil deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland. A phylogenetic analysis of macropodoid relationships that includes t... Read More about Three new Miocene species of musky rat-kangaroos (Hypsiprymnodontidae, Macropodoidea) : description, phylogenetics and paleoecology.

A peculiar faunivorous metatherian from the early Eocene of Australia (2013)
Journal Article
Beck, R. (2013). A peculiar faunivorous metatherian from the early Eocene of Australia. Acta palaeontologica Polonica, 60(1), 123-129. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.2013.0011

I describe Archaeonothos henkgodthelpi gen. et. sp. nov., a small (estimated body mass ~40-80g) tribosphenic metatherian from the early Eocene Tingamarra Fauna of southeastern Queensland, Australia. This taxon, known only from a single isolated upper... Read More about A peculiar faunivorous metatherian from the early Eocene of Australia.