basal mammalian classification

[Ken Kinman]

Dear All,
      In my 1994 classification, I opted for a fully cladistic treatment of
mammals all the way down to the base (just as I did for the angiosperms).
Since the phylogenetic instability for basal mammals is not getting any
better (if anything, it is getting worse), I decided to combine several
basal orders into one Order Prototheriformes (monotremes and allies).  Like
my recent reclassification of angiosperms, I think this will make the
evolution and classification of basal mammals easier to envision and
understand (for all users, scientists and non-scientists).  We shall see.
     The multituberculate families are not cladistically coded yet (what a
mess that is).  By the way, seems like I heard speculation that
gondwanatheres (Sudamericanidae) might not be true multituberculates.
Anybody else hear or read about that??  Anyway, here's a sneak peek at what
my basal mammal classification will look like (hopefully I got all the typos
corrected).  As always, comments are welcome.

           CLASS MAMMALIA

1  Prototheriformes%% (incl. monotremes)
        1  Pl. Adelobasileus
        2  Sinoconodontidae
        3  Morganucodontidae
        ?  Haramiyidae
        4  Docodontidae
        5  Pl. Hadrocodium
        6  Kuehneotheriidae
        ?  Chronoperatidae
        7  Shuotheriidae
        B  Pl. Asfaltomylos
        C  Pl. Ambondro
        D  Ausktribosphenidae
        E  Tachyglossidae (extant)
        F  Ornithorhynchidae (extant)
        8  Tinodontidae
        9  Pl. Jeholodens
        B  Triconodontidae
        C  Amphilestidae
       10  {{Multituberculiformes}}
       11  Amphidontidae
       12  Spalacotheriidae
        B  Barbereniidae
       13  {{Dryolestiformes, etc.)
             (= Cladotheria)

_a_  Multituberculiformes (uncoded)
        1  Paulchoffatiidae
           Plagiaulacidae
           Albionbaatariidae
           Bolodontidae
           Pl. Glirodon
           Sudamericanidae
           Chulsanbaataridae
           Sloanbaataridae
           Djadochtatheriidae
           Kogaionidae
           Cimolodontidae
           Ptilodontidae
           Cimolomyidae
           Boffiidae
           Microcosmodontidae
           Eucosmodontidae
           Taeniolabididae

_1_  Dryolestiformes
2   Peramuriformes
3   Aegialodontiformes
4   Deltatheroidiformes
B   ... rest of Metatheria

5   Xenarthriformes
6   ... rest of Eutheria
     ....

*****************************************

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.