Further examination of the basicranial anatomy of the megachiroptera: a reply to A.J. King.
Four basicranial characters supporting a single origin of megachiropterans and microchiropterans have been identified by Wible and Novacek. King was not able to find two of these characters in specimens of the megachiropteran Pteropus and concluded that these characters be rejected in analyses of chiropteran phylogeny. To address King's claims, the two characters in question (regarding the tegmen tympani and ramus inferior of the stapedial artery) are documented here for Pteropus. The discrepancies between this report and King's appear to result from different criteria for identifying the tegmen tympani. Employed here are the criteria generally accepted by students of the mammalian chondrocranium.
Wible
J R
JR
Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Ky 40292.
D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013199:Stapes / Q000098:blood supply*