The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 10 (of 10)Beddard, Frank E. (Frank Evers)
Science
The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 10 (of 10)
Beddard, Frank E. (Frank Evers)
Animals; Mammals
The first of these divisions includes what seem to be basal forms. These
reptiles show numerous points of likeness to the Amphibian
Labyrinthodonts.[46] On the other hand the third division, that of the
Dicynodontia, are highly-specialised Theromorpha, from which no further
evolution would appear to have been possible. Thus the dentition was either
completely lost, or reduced to tusks as in _Dicynodon_. We need not
therefore concern ourselves in the present volume with these Anomodonts. It
is with the Theriodonts that our business lies. The very name, be it
observed, is aptly chosen on the hypothesis to be explained here; but it is
not only in the teeth that these reptiles show likenesses to the Theria or
Mammals, but in almost every feature of their organisation. Unlike other
reptiles, the Theromorpha in general were lifted comparatively high above
the ground on legs of fair length and of mammalian relationship in the
position of the segments of the limbs. The typical reptile grovels upon the
earth with legs sprawling out, as indeed the very name suggests. One bar to
the Theriodonts being on the direct line of mammalian ancestry has been
urged as a preliminary difficulty, and that is their large size. The
earliest undoubted mammals were small creatures, comparable to a Rat or a
Mouse in size; whereas a good-sized Bear or a Wolf is a better standard of
size for some of the best-known genera of Theriodonts. It has, however,
been quite permissibly suggested that living in company with these large
Theriodonts were less obtrusive genera, from which the mammals might have
sprung. It is so familiar a fact that a given group of animals generally
contains giants, dwarfs, and members of intermediate size, that this
suggestion may almost be accepted as a fact. It need at least present no
difficulties to us in our comparisons.
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