 |
| a gorgonopsian from the island of Mallorca, western Mediterranean in Matamales-Andreu, Kammerer, Angielczyk, Simões, Mujal, Galobart et Fortuny, 2024. Reconstruction by Henry Sutherland Sharpe |
Abstract
Therapsids were a dominant component of middle–late Permian terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, eventually giving rise to mammals during the early Mesozoic. However, little is currently known about the time and place of origin of Therapsida. Here we describe a definitive therapsid from the lower–?middle Permian palaeotropics, a partial skeleton of a gorgonopsian from the island of Mallorca, western Mediterranean. This specimen represents, to our knowledge, the oldest gorgonopsian record worldwide, and possibly the oldest known therapsid. Using emerging relaxed clock models, we provide a quantitative timeline for the origin and early diversification of therapsids, indicating a long ghost lineage leading to the evolutionary radiation of all major therapsid clades within less than 10 Myr, in the aftermath of Olson’s Extinction. Our findings place this unambiguous early therapsid in an ancient summer wet biome of equatorial Pangaea, thus suggesting that the group originated in tropical rather than temperate regions.
Systematic palaeontology
Synapsida Osborn, 190313
Therapsida Broom, 190514
Gorgonopsia Seeley, 189415
Gorgonopsia indet.
 |
| Most relevant elements of DA21/17-01-01 and silhouette showing their positions |
 |
| Life reconstruction of the gorgonopsian from Mallorca in a floodplain setting. Reconstruction by Henry Sutherland Sharpe |
Rafel Matamales-Andreu, Christian F. Kammerer, Kenneth D. Angielczyk, Tiago R. Simões, Eudald Mujal, Àngel Galobart and Josep Fortuny. 2024. Early–middle Permian Mediterranean gorgonopsian suggests an equatorial origin of therapsids. Nature Communications. 15: 10346. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54425-5
