Reassessing the phylogeny and divergence times of sloths (Mammalia: Pilosa: Folivora), exploring alternative morphological partitioning and dating models
Author
Casali, Daniel M
Author
Boscaini, Alberto
Author
Gaudin, Timothy J
Author
Perini, Fernando A
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2022
2022-12-01
196
4
1505
1551
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/196/4/1505/6617197
journal article
10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac041
0024-4082
7381236
Choloepodini
PP = 98, age = 7.07 Mya (5.67–8.93).
This clade is composed of the genus
Pliomorphus
; the Antillean megalonychines
Megalocnus
,
Parocnus
,
Neocnus
and
Acratocnus
; and the living sloth genus
Choloepus
. It was consistently recovered in our analyses with the arrangement (
Pliomorphus
, ((
Megalocnus
,
Parocnus
), (
Neocnus
, (
Acratocnus
,
Choloepus
)))). In one exception—in par_EW—
Neocnus
,
Acratocnus
and
Choloepus
were recovered in a polytomy.
Choloepodiniwassupportedbyeightsynapomorphies (six for both methods and two exclusively for BI): snout downturned anteroventrally, in lateral view; evenly convex dorsal surface of the skull; minimum width of palate between toothrows equal or less than width of Mf2; absence of postorbital process of zygomatic arch; occiput wider than deep; presence of recessus meatus (BI); presence of a strong concavity between greater trochanter and the head of femur (BI); and patellar trochlea confluent with lateral, but not with medial condylar surface.