Prototheria
The Prototheria is a former subclass of mammals, now no longer in use. The name comes from Greek prōtos means 'first', and thēr, 'beast'. The only surviving animals in this subclass are the Monotremes.
| Prototheria Temporal range: Upper Triassic – Recent | |
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| Short-beaked Echidna | |
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| Subclass: | Prototheria Gill, 1872 |
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There are two other subclasses, the Metatheria and the Eutheria. Metatheria contains the marsupials. All the other mammals are Eutherian.
Evidence is accumulating that the Prototheria is not a natural group, but alternative suggestions are not yet agreed.[1][2] The term is not listed in Benton's 4th edition (2015), so it is now a dead term.
References
- Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, Richard L. Cifelli, and Zhe-Xi Luo 2004. Mammals from the Age of Dinosaurs: origins, evolution, and structure. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Benton, Michael J. 2005. Vertebrate palaeontology. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-632-05637-1
Wikispecies has information on: Prototheria.
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