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Cranioskeletal Morphology of Archontans, and Diagnoses of Chiroptera, Volitantia, and Archonta

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Primates and Their Relatives in Phylogenetic Perspective

Part of the book series: Advances in Primatology ((AIPR))

Abstract

The seemingly intractable problem of the earliest adaptations and the nature of relationships of the mixodectids, microsyopids, plesiadapiforms, tupaiids, euprimates, colugos, and bats has been in the forefront of mammalian system-atics for quite some time. The literature of the past two decades that has specifically focused on parts, or the whole, of this problem is briefly reviewed below, and a number of the specific character evolution hypotheses are examined. After a general neglect of the issues related to the Archonta, perhaps because of Simpson’s (1945) influential views, there has been a resurgence of interest in the 1970s. Many contributions, on a considerably expanded data base, have grappled with the problems of adaptation and phylogenetic relationships. Beard (1989, 1993, this volume) in particular has clearly and firmly stated his several hypotheses of various character polarities, and of the tax-onomic concepts of Primatomorpha and Eudermoptera, all based on carefully analyzed postcranial evidence. In these works he has rejected, more by implication than strong arguments, the Archonta. His hypotheses are important not only because of the greatly increased postcranial evidence that was analyzed in sophisticated functional-adaptive detail, but also because within their confines the recency of relationships of colugos, plesiadapiforms, euprimates, and bats, in that order, was seemingly supported by a number of apparently well-tested synapomorphies.

In order to emphasize the hypothesis that the orders Menotyphla, Dermoptera, Chiroptera and Primates have had a common origin, possibly from some upper Cretaceous family resembling in many characters the Tupaiidae, these four orders may be embraced in a single superorder, which may be named Archonta in allusion to the fact that Linnaeus included in the Primates the genera Homo, Simia, Lemur (including the Lemuroids and the “Flying Lemur”), Vespertillio. W. K. Gregory (1910, p. 322)

Gregory’s “Archonta” is almost surely an unnatural group. G. G. Simpson (1945, p. 173)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, 10021, USA

    Frederick S. Szalay

  2. New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104, USA

    Spencer G. Lucas

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  1. American Museum of Narutal History, New York, New York, USA

    Ross D. E. MacPhee

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Szalay, F.S., Lucas, S.G. (1993). Cranioskeletal Morphology of Archontans, and Diagnoses of Chiroptera, Volitantia, and Archonta. In: MacPhee, R.D.E. (eds) Primates and Their Relatives in Phylogenetic Perspective. Advances in Primatology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2388-2_6

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