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The Palmar and Plantar Anatomy of Dromiciops gliroides Thomas, 1894 (Marsupialia, Microbiotheria) and its Relationship to Australian Marsupials

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Abstract

The monito del monte Dromiciops gliroides Thomas, 1894, is a marsupial endemic to the temperate rainforests of Argentina and Chile. Studies on its phylogenetic relationships show the species is more closely related to Australian marsupials than to any other American taxon. The study of the palmar and plantar anatomy in this species through direct observation of more than 86 specimens and comparisons with American and Australian marsupials show the pattern of D. gliroides is derived from the ancestral mammalian pattern. Dromiciops gliroides show the presence of a single palmar/plantar pad in the position of interdigital pad 1 and the lack of a thenar pad (or the complete fusion between both pads), a pattern that appears closer to some Australian diprotodont marsupials. Also shared with several Australian marsupials is the transverse orientation of pad ridges, a condition that is not shared with most arboreal/scansorial American marsupials (e.g., Caluromys spp., Marmosa spp., Marmosops spp.).

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Acknowledgments

I thank curators who granted access to specimens under their care: R. Voss (AMNH); P. Jenkins (BMNH); B. Patterson (FMNH); G. D’Elía (UACH); R. Bárquez (IML); D. Flores (MACN); D. Verzi/M. Merino (MLP); D. Romero (MMP); Frank Zachos and Alexander Bibl (NMW); J. Braun (OMNH); L. Gordon and A. Gardner (USNM). I thank R. Sage and G. Amico for access to the embryos/fetuses at Bariloche, Argentina. I thank F. Goin and M. Tejedor who provided insightful comments that improved several aspects of this manuscript. D. Flores and N. Novo gave advice on character mapping and TNT software. Additional economic support was provided by E. Watkins and M. Simeon.

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  1. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP) CONICET – UNPSJB, Roca 780, CP, 9200, Esquel, Chubut, República Argentina

    Gabriel M. Martin

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Correspondence to Gabriel M. Martin.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

List of specimens analyzed for this study. Acronyms are as follows: BMNH, British Museum of Natural History, London; CML, Colección “Miguel Lillo,” San Miguel de Tucumán; CRUB-M, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Colección de Mamíferos, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche; FMNH, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago; LIEB-M, Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Evolución y Biodiversidad, Colección Mastozoología, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia “San Juan Bosco,” Esquel; MACN, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia,” Buenos Aires; MMP, Museo de Mar del Plata “Lorenzo Scaglia,” Mar del Plata; NMW, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna; OMNH, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman; RS, Richard Sage collection; UACH, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia; USNM, United States National Museum – Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Dromiciops gliroides: BMNH 22676; BMNH 35.11.10.49; BMNH 19.1.1.46–47; BMNH 92.5.9.3; CRUB-M-011; CRUB-M-013; CRUB-M-015-19; CRUB-M-028; CRUB-M-154; CRUB-M-177; CRUB-M-197-199; FMNH 129815; FMNH 22677; FMNH 127441, FMNH 127452; FMNH 134557; LIEB-M-1529-1531; MACN 48.26; CML 1869; UACH 687–90; UACH 836; UACH 986; UACH 1053; UACH 1056–57; UACH 1059; UACH 1731; UACH 1733–35; UACH 2144–57; UACH 2159–66; UACH 2565; UACH 3129; UACH 3131; UACH 3479–83; UACH 3655–56; UACH 4324; UACH 6161; UACH 6906; UACH 6997–7000; UACH 7027–28. Fetuses/Embryos: RS 18110 (n = 2); RS 18111 (n = 2); RS 18126 (n = 4); RS 18138 (n = 5); RS 18605 (n = 2).

Other marsupial species analyzed: Acrobates pygmaeus: USNM 221334, USNM 221346, USNM 223137, USNM 588353, USNM 588351. Caenolestes spp.: FMNH 72394, FMNH 72395, FMNH 72393, and see Martin (2008). Caluromys spp.: USNM 14812, USNM 4902289, USNM 490227, OMNH 10595, OMNH 9753–4, NMW 28622, NMW 28624. Caluromysiops irrupta: OMNH 2838. Cercartetus nanus: NMW 63158. Cryptonanus spp.: USNM 236329, USNM 236677, USNM 19651. Didelphis spp.: USNM 8317, USNM 391488, USNM 391496, USNM 391500, USNM 391486, USNM 4947, USNM 490497, USNM 261389, USNM 261391, USNM 490528, USNM 522977, USNM 268736, USNM 399450, USNM 259851, USNM 60432, USNM 514482. Gracilinaus spp.: USNM 490248, USNM 490432, USNM 579272, USNM 385017, USNM 370047, OMNH 17359–61, OMNH 17373–74, NMW 28620. Lestodelphys halli: LIEB-M-1532-1533. Lestoros inca: USNM 194938, USNM 194942, USNM 194941, USNM 194943, FMNH 75587, FMNH 172034, FMNH 172036, FMNH 172038, FMNH 172040, FMNH 172041, FMNH 172043. Lutreolina crassicaudata: NMN 536832, USNM 536833, USNM 536834, USNM 536835. Metachirus nudicaudatus: MMP AN210, MMP 1255, MMP 1472, MMP 1475, USNM 391472, USNM 499760, USNM 57756, NMW 30651. Marmosa spp.: USNM 12888, USNM 14629, USNM 549604, USNM 549603, USNM 577748, USNM 577749, USNM 490259, USNM 496526, USNM 4900255, OMNH 37209, OMNH 9751, OMNH 37212–13, NMW 21682, NMW 21683, NMW 33857, NMW 23428, NMW 48888, NMW 48889, NMW 48891, NMW 29578–29,580. Marmosops spp.: USNM 496520, USNM 496517, USNM 577755, USNM 577752, USNM 551523, OMNH 37214, OMNH 37211, OMNH 37210, OMNH 37218, NMW 27464. Monodelphis spp.: USNM 490247, USNM 490246, USNM 490242, USNM 490240, OMNH 17380–81, OMNH 17387, OMNH 17377, OMNH 10596, OMNH 37221–24, NMW 28621. Philander opossum: MMP 57, MMP FN 591, MMP 3902, OMNH 17375. Rhyncholestes raphanurus: MMP 4055, FMNH 129825, FMNH 92832, FMNH 127476, and see Martin (2008). Thylamys spp.: MMP FN8291, MMP 16–7, MMP I10, MMP T33, MMP I397, MMP I399, MMP I404–6, MMP I410, MMP I412–3, MMP I416, MMP I446–9, MMP I451–3, MMP I620–2, MMP I766, MMP 836, MMP 844, MMP 859–63, MMP 875, MMP 2060, MMP 4072, MMP 4075–7, MMP 4079, and see Martin (2008, 2009). Tlacuatzin canescens: USNM 269980, USNM 512672, USNM 510080, OMNH 36199, OMNH 26640–42.

Appendix 2

The morphological data described and analyzed in this report is reproduced below. Missing data are indicated as “?”, and inapplicable characters are indicated as “-”. Square brackets enclose observed polymorphisms.

Geogale 0000[05]1

Tenrec 001153

Tupaia 00[23][23]50

Cryptotis 20000[42]

Caluromys 02220[45]

Caluromysiops 002211

Didelphis 022[23][23]0

Chironectes 3300[23][10]

Lutreolina 02[23][23]?0

Philander 02[23][23]50

Metachirus 00[23]25[45]

Marmosa (including Micoureus) 002251

Monodelphis 122[20]50

Tlacuatzin 00[23][23][23]1

Cryptonanus 0033[23]1

Gracilinanus 00[23][23][14][14]

Lestodelphys 003300

Marmosops 00[23][23][23]1

Thylamys 00[23]35[45]

Caenolestes 100050

Lestoros 100054

Rhyncholestes 10?054

Thylacinus 4400[24][24]

Myrmecobius 11111-

Sarcophilus 0011[24]5

Dasyurus 00335[05]

Phascogale 003355

Sminthopsis 063[13]5[24]

Antechinus 0033?5

Macrotis 5511‐‐

Perameles 5511‐‐

Dromiciops 113311

Phascolarctos 111111

Vombatus 111155

Cercartetus 113311

Burramys 113351

Ailurops 11[23]355

Strigocuscus 113311

Thrichosurus 113311

Wyulda 11[23][23]55

Phalanger 11[23][23]15

Spilocuscus 11[23]311

Hypsiprymnodon 113315

Macropups 5511‐‐

Potorus 5511‐‐

Acrobates 113211

Distoechurus 17[23]311

Tarsipes 113311

Pseudochirops 11[23][23]31

Petropseudes 11[23]311

Pseudocheirus 11[23][23]11

Pseudochirulus 11[23][23]11

Hemibelideus 11[23][23][12]5

Petauroides 18[23]311

Petaurus 113311

Gymnobelideus 113312

Dactylopsila 1733[15]1

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Martin, G.M. The Palmar and Plantar Anatomy of Dromiciops gliroides Thomas, 1894 (Marsupialia, Microbiotheria) and its Relationship to Australian Marsupials. J Mammal Evol 26, 51–60 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-017-9420-y

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