fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

proboscidea The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. From ...

Cuvieronius ''Cuvieronius'' is an extinct New World genus of gomphothere, named after the French naturalist Georges Cuvier. Alive, specimens typically stood about tall at the shoulder, weighed about and would have superficially resembled a modern elephant ...

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Langebaanweg in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

('' Anancus capensis'', ''

Mammuthus subplanifrons ''Mammuthus subplanifrons'', the South African Mammoth, is the oldest representative of the genus ''Mammuthus'', appearing around 5 million years ago during the early Pliocene in what is today South Africa and countries of East Africa East ...

'' and '' Loxodonta cookei'') is presented by Groenewald ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the morphology of teeth and

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower tooth, teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movabl ...

of ''"Serridentinus" gobiensis'' and '' Miomastodon tongxinensis'', as well as on the phylogenetic affinities of these taxa, is published by Wang, Zhang & Li (2020), who reestablish ''Miomastodon'' as a genus distinct from ''

Zygolophodon ''Zygolophodon'' is an extinct genus of African, Asian, and European mammutid that lived from the Miocene to the Late Pliocene. Taxonomy ''Zygolophodon'' belongs in the family Mammutidae, whose best known member is the American mastodon. ''Zy ...

'', and transfer ''S. gobiensis'' to the genus ''Miomastodon''. update headers and lead * A study on the phylogeography of the American

mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...

, based on data from 35 complete mitochondrial genomes, is published by Karpinski ''et al.'' (2020).

Sirenia

Sirenian research

*The hindlimbs of the quadrupedal sirenian '' Sobrarbesiren cardieli'' from the Eocene of Northeastern Spain are described in detail with suggestions on the aquatic locomotion of the species. *Review of the Miocene sirenian fossil record from

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

is published by Carone & Rizzo, with referral of specimens to '' Metaxytherium'' cf. ''M. krahuletzi'', and reaffirmation of ''" Metaxytherium lovisati"'' as nomen dubium.

Other afrotherians

Miscellaneous afrotherian research

* A study on the anatomy of the petrosal and inner ear of '' Ocepeia daouiensis'' is published by Gheerbrant, Schmitt & Billet (2020).

Euarchontoglires

Primates

General primate research

* A study aiming to determine whether the relationship between primate brain size and brain shape is characterized by allometry, and whether any such relationship may reflect shared macroevolutionary trends in primate brain shape, based on data from extant and four fossil primates ('' Homo heidelbergensis'', ''

Australopithecus africanus ''Australopithecus africanus'' is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived between about 3.3 and 2.1 million years ago in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of South Africa. The species has been recovered from Taung, Sterkfonte ...

'', ''

Antillothrix bernensis The Hispaniola monkey (''Antillothrix bernensis'') is an extinct primate that was endemic on the island of Hispaniola, in the present-day Dominican Republic. The species is thought to have gone extinct around the 16th century. The exact timing a ...

'' and '' Archaeolemur'' sp.), is published by Sansalone ''et al.'' (2020). * Marigó ''et al.'' (2020) describe navicular bones of ''

Anchomomys ''Anchomomys'' is a genus of adapiform primate that lived in Europe and Africa during the middle Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second e ...

frontanyensis'' from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

fossil site of

Sant Jaume de Frontanyà Sant Jaume de Frontanyà () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Berguedà in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the Pyrenees below the peak of Pedró de Tubau (1543 m). The village was the smallest municipality in Catalonia in terms ...

-3C (Barcelona, Spain), representing first known navicular bones of an Eocene euprimate from Europe, and evaluate the implications of these fossils for the knowledge of early patterns of locomotor evolution in primates. * A study evaluating the potential impact of a large-scale mid-Cenozoic extinction and diversification event on lemurs from

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, based on comparison of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of Madagascar in the Holocene to that of early Cenozoic continental Africa and on phylogenetic modeling, is published by

Godfrey Godfrey may refer to: People * Godfrey (name), a given name and surname * Godfrey (comedian), American comedian, actor Places In the United States * Godfrey, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Godfrey, Illinois, a village * Godfrey, Kansas, an ...

''et al.'' (2020). * Virtual endocast of a specimen of '' Necrolemur antiquus'' is presented by Harrington, Yapuncich & Boyer (2020), who compare the endocast morphology of ''N. antiquus'' with those of other Eocene primates. * New fossil material of ''

Ganlea ''Ganlea'' is a fossil primate from central Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Its age is about 38 million years, living during the late Eocene epoch. ''Ganlea'' belongs to the group of anthropoids (i. e. humans, apes and monkeys), and is in the ...

megacanina'' is described by Jaeger ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of this finding for the knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships of amphipithecine primates, and interpret amphipithecines as

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

anthropoids The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Catarrhi ...

. * A study on the anatomy of the talus of ''

Paralouatta ''Paralouatta'' is a platyrrhine genus that currently contains two extinct species of small primates that lived on the island of Cuba. Description ''Paralouatta varonai'' was described from a nearly complete cranium from the late Quaternary ...

marianae'' and ''P. varonai'', evaluating its implications for the knowledge of the locomotor behaviors of these primate (especially for the knowledge whether or not ''Paralouatta'' represents the first known semi-terrestrial platyrrhine), is published by Püschel ''et al.'' (2020). * New specimens of '' Mesopithecus pentelicus'', representing the easternmost occurrence of this genus to date, are described from the Miocene site of Shuitangba (

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

, China) by Jablonski ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of these fossils for the knowledge of primate dispersals and paleoecology in the late Miocene. * A study on the evolution of the vestibular apparatus in hominoids and on the utility of the study of the inner ear morphology for reconstructions of phylogenetic relationships of fossil apes, based on data from extant

anthropoids The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Catarrhi ...

and two fossil taxa ('' Oreopithecus'' and ''

Australopithecus ''Australopithecus'' (, ; ) is a genus of early hominins that existed in Africa during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. The genus ''Homo'' (which includes modern humans) emerged within ''Australopithecus'', as sister to e.g. ''Australopi ...

''), is published by Urciuoli ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the biomechanical performance of the

patella The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as m ...

of ''

Pierolapithecus ''Pierolapithecus catalaunicus'' is an extinct species of primate which lived about 13 million years ago during the Miocene in what is now Hostalets de Pierola, Catalonia, Spain, giving it its scientific name. It is believed by some to be a comm ...

catalaunicus'' is published by Pina ''et al.'' (2020). * A study reevaluating the anatomical evidence for bipedalism in ''

Danuvius guggenmosi ''Danuvius guggenmosi'' is an extinct species of great ape that lived 11.6 million years ago during the Middle–Late Miocene in southern Germany. It is the sole member of the genus ''Danuvius''. The area at this time was probably a woodland ...

'' is published by Williams ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the ecology of fossil hominins and co-existing primates in the

Turkana Basin An '' Acacia'' tree in the Kokiselei river, northern Kenya The greater Turkana Basin in East Africa (mainly northwestern Kenya and southern Ethiopia, smaller parts of eastern Uganda and southeastern South Sudan) determines a large endorheic bas ...

area (circa 4 to 2 Ma), based on data from

tooth enamel Tooth enamel is one of the four major Tissue (biology), tissues that make up the tooth in humans and many other animals, including some species of fish. It makes up the normally visible part of the tooth, covering the Crown (tooth), crown. The ...

stable calcium isotope values, is published by Martin ''et al.'' (2020).

Paleoanthropological research

* A study on the impact caused by hard plant tissues in contact with

tooth enamel Tooth enamel is one of the four major Tissue (biology), tissues that make up the tooth in humans and many other animals, including some species of fish. It makes up the normally visible part of the tooth, covering the Crown (tooth), crown. The ...

is published by van Casteren ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of their findings for the knowledge of the diet of early hominins. * A study on the mandible morphology, chewing biomechanics and probable diet of early hominins is published by Marcé-Nogué ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on metacarpal trabecular and cortical bone in early hominins, and on its implications for the knowledge of diversity in hominin hand use (especially in ''

Australopithecus sediba ''Australopithecus sediba'' is an extinct species of australopithecine recovered from Malapa Cave, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. It is known from a partial juvenile skeleton, the holotype MH1, and a partial adult female skeleton, the para ...

''), is published by Dunmore ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the phalangeal curvature of a chimpanzee who was raised during the 1930s to live much like a human, having very few opportunities to engage in arboreal activities, is published by Wallace, Burgess & Patel (2020), who attempt to determine the extent to which phalangeal curvature is shaped by arboreal locomotion during life relative to genetic factors, and evaluate the implications of their findings for the interpretations of phalangeal curvature among fossil hominins. * A study on the evolution of human brain size, shape, and asymmetry, based on data from apes and from species belonging to the genus ''

Homo ''Homo'' () is the genus that emerged in the (otherwise extinct) genus ''Australopithecus'' that encompasses the extant species ''Homo sapiens'' ( modern humans), plus several extinct species classified as either ancestral to or closely relate ...

'', is published by Melchionna ''et al.'' (2020), who report evidence indicating a significant shift in the rate of brain shape evolution in the clade including modern humans,

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While th ...

s and Homo heidelbergensis. * Two hominin skulls, representing the earliest definitive occurrence of ''

Paranthropus robustus ''Paranthropus robustus'' is a species of robustness (morphology), robust australopithecine from the Early Pleistocene, Early and possibly Middle Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, about 2.27 to 0.87 (or, mo ...

'' and the earliest occurrence of a cranium with clear affinities to ''

Homo erectus ''Homo erectus'' (; meaning "upright man") is an extinct species of archaic human from the Pleistocene, with its earliest occurrence about 2 million years ago. Several human species, such as '' H. heidelbergensis'' and '' H. antecessor' ...

'' reported so far, are described from

Drimolen The Drimolen Palaeocave System consists of a series of terminal Pliocene to early Pleistocene hominin-bearing palaeocave fills located around north of Johannesburg, South Africa, and about north of Sterkfontein in the UNESCO World Heritage Site ...

(

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) by Herries ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as evidence that ''Homo'', ''Paranthropus'' and ''Australopithecus'' were contemporaneous at ~2 million years ago. * A study on the locomotion of two hominins from the

Sterkfontein Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for ''Strong Spring'') is a set of limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located in Gauteng province, about northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Muldersdrift area close to the town of K ...

Caves in South Africa (''Australopithecus africanus'' and a geologically younger hominin of uncertain phylogenetic placement, either ''

Paranthropus robustus ''Paranthropus robustus'' is a species of robustness (morphology), robust australopithecine from the Early Pleistocene, Early and possibly Middle Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, about 2.27 to 0.87 (or, mo ...

'' or a member of the genus ''Homo''), testing for evidence of committed terrestrial bipedalism and for significant bouts of climbing, is published by Georgiou ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on changes of the diet of the hominins from the Shungura and

Usno United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the Depo ...

Formations (Ethiopia) through time, as indicated by carbon isotope data, is published by Wynn ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the maturational pattern of ''

Paranthropus robustus ''Paranthropus robustus'' is a species of robustness (morphology), robust australopithecine from the Early Pleistocene, Early and possibly Middle Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, about 2.27 to 0.87 (or, mo ...

'', based on data from fossils from the Kromdraai B cave site (South Africa), is published by Cazenave ''et al.'' (2020), who report evidence indicating that ''P. robustus'' had a maturational pattern that more closely approached the extant ape rather than the human condition. * A study on the histology of a third permanent molar of a specimen of ''Paranthropus robustus'' from the Swartkrans site (South Africa), evaluating its implications for the knowledge of the timing of teeth maturation in this hominin, is published by Dean ''et al.'' (2020). * An approximately 2-million-year-old skull of a male ''Paranthropus robustus'' is described from the Drimolen Main Quarry by Martin ''et al.'' (2020), who argue that the morphology of this specimen refutes existing hypotheses of

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

in this hominin, and instead documents

microevolution Microevolution is the change in allele frequencies that occurs over time within a population. This change is due to four different processes: mutation, selection (natural and artificial), gene flow and genetic drift. This change happens over a r ...

ary changes within this species. * Detailed comparative description of the DNH 7 skull from Drimolen is published by Rak ''et al.'' (2020). * Richmond ''et al.'' (2020) report the first associated hand and upper limb skeleton of ''

Paranthropus boisei ''Paranthropus boisei'' is a species of australopithecine from the Early Pleistocene of East Africa about 2.5 to 1.15 million years ago. The holotype specimen, OH 5, was discovered by palaeoanthropologist Mary Leakey in 1959, and described by h ...

'' from the

Ileret Ileret (also spelled Illeret) is a village in Marsabit County, Kenya. It is located in Northern Kenya, on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana, north of Sibiloi National Park and near the Ethiopian border. Numerous hominin fossils have been foun ...

site (

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

). * A study aiming to determine the length of the

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...

in ''

Australopithecus ''Australopithecus'' (, ; ) is a genus of early hominins that existed in Africa during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. The genus ''Homo'' (which includes modern humans) emerged within ''Australopithecus'', as sister to e.g. ''Australopi ...

'' is published by McNutt & DeSilva (2020). * A study on the anatomy of the

atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...

of the ''Australopithecus'' specimen Stw 573 ("

Little Foot "Little Foot" (Stw 573) is the nickname given to a nearly complete Australopithecus fossil skeleton found in 1994–1998 in the cave system of Sterkfontein, South Africa. Originally nicknamed "little foot" in 1995 when four ankle bones in a mu ...

") and an additional ''Australopithecus'' specimen StW 679 from the

Sterkfontein Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for ''Strong Spring'') is a set of limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located in Gauteng province, about northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Muldersdrift area close to the town of K ...

Member 4 (

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, evaluating their implications for the knowledge of kinematics of head-neck movements and blood supply contributing to brain metabolism in ''Australopithecus'' is published by Beaudet ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on brain organization and growth in ''

Australopithecus afarensis ''Australopithecus afarensis'' is an extinct species of australopithecine which lived from about 3.9–2.9 million years ago (mya) in the Pliocene of East Africa. The first fossils were discovered in the 1930s, but major fossil finds would not ...

'' is published by Gunz ''et al.'' (2020). * A 1.4-million-y-old large bone fragment shaped into handaxe-like form is described from the

Konso Formation Konso (also known as Karati) is a town on the Sagan River in south-western Ethiopia. The administrative center of the Konso special woreda of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and ...

(

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

) by Sano ''et al.'' (2020), expanding the documented technological repertoire of African Early Pleistocene ''Homo''. * An assemblage of immature remains of '' Homo naledi'', including the first partial skeleton of a juvenile member of this species, is reported from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave (

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) by Bolter ''et al.'' (2020). * Bolter & Cameron (2020) utilize the methods used to study human growth and development for the reconstruction of ontogeny of ''Homo naledi''. * A study on the morphology of the mandibular

premolar The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...

s of ''Homo naledi'', and on its implications for the knowledge of possible evolutionary links between ''H. naledi'' and hominins from

Sterkfontein Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for ''Strong Spring'') is a set of limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located in Gauteng province, about northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Muldersdrift area close to the town of K ...

and Swartkrans, is published by Davies ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the timing of the first appearance of ''Homo erectus'' at the Sangiran site (

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

) is published by Matsu'ura ''et al.'' (2020). * Semaw ''et al.'' (2020) report the discovery of crania of ''Homo erectus'' and both Acheulean and Oldowan artifacts at the Busidima North and Dana Aoule North sites (

Gona Gona may refer to: People * Gona Budda Reddy * Gona Ganna Reddy * Marigona Dragusha, Kosovar model Places * Gona, Ethiopia * Gona, Papua New Guinea * Gona Barracks Gona Barracks is a heritage-listed barracks at 3, 7,12, 25 & 26 Gona Parade, ...

, Afar,

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

), and interpret these findings as evidence of behavioral diversity and flexibility of ''H. erectus''. * Reconstruction of the

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

of the juvenile ''H. erectus'' skeleton KNM-WT 15000 from Nariokotome (Kenya) is presented by Bastir ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of the anatomy of this individual for the knowledge of the evolution of the modern human body shape. * A study on the anatomy of the Dali Man is published by Wu (2020). * Welker ''et al.'' (2020) present tooth enamel proteomes of ''

Homo antecessor ''Homo antecessor'' (Latin "pioneer man") is an Extinction, extinct species of archaic human recorded in the Spanish Archaeological Site of Atapuerca, Sierra de Atapuerca, a productive archaeological site, from 1.2 to 0.8 million years ago durin ...

'' from Atapuerca (

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

) and ''Homo erectus'' from Dmanisi ( Georgia), and evaluate the implications of their findings for the knowledge of the phylogenetic placement of ''H. antecessor''. * A study on tooth enamel development in hominins from the paleontological sites of the Atapuerca complex, aiming to determine whether the Atapuerca hominins shared a suite or pattern of dental developmental characteristics with ''Homo sapiens'', is published by Modesto-Mata ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the morphology of hominin bones from the Sima de los Huesos site (Atapuerca, Spain) is published by Bartsiokas & Arsuaga (2020), who interpret their findings as likely evidence of

hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...

in the Atapuerca hominins. * A study on the age of the Kabwe 1 skull from

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...

(

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

), and on its implications for the knowledge of human evolution, is published by Grün ''et al.'' (2020). * Evidence of interbreeding between common ancestors of Neanderthals and Denisovans with a different hominin population that separated from other humans about 2 million years ago is presented by

Rogers Rogers may refer to: Places Canada *Rogers Pass (British Columbia) *Rogers Island (Nunavut) United States * Rogers, Arkansas, a city * Rogers, alternate name of Muroc, California, a former settlement * Rogers, Indiana, an unincorporated community ...

, Harris & Achenbach (2020). * Petr ''et al.'' (2020) sequence

Y chromosome The Y chromosome is one of two sex chromosomes (allosomes) in therian mammals, including humans, and many other animals. The other is the X chromosome. Y is normally the sex-determining chromosome in many species, since it is the presence or abse ...

s from Neanderthals and Denisovans, and evaluate the implications of their findings for the knowledge of the evolutionary history of Neanderthals and Denisovans. * Zhang ''et al.'' (2020) report the discovery of Denisovan mitochondrial DNA from sediments of the Baishiya Karst Cave deposited ~100 thousand, ~60 thousand and possibly as recently as ~45 thousand years ago, and interpret their findings as evidence of long-term occupation of this cave by Denisovans. * A study on the early life of Neanderthals, based on data from three Neanderthal individuals from northeastern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, is published by Nava ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as indicating that the modern human nursing strategy was present among these Neanderthals. * A study on the exploitation of bivalves by Neanderthals from the Moscerini cave site (

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

) is published by Villa ''et al.'' (2020), who report evidence indicating that Neanderthals collected aquatic resources by skin diving. * Zilhão ''et al.'' (2020) present evidence from the Figueira Brava site on the Atlantic coast of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

indicating that

Middle Paleolithic The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleoli ...

Neanderthals from this site exploited marine resources at a scale on par with the modern human–associated

Middle Stone Age The Middle Stone Age (or MSA) was a period of African prehistory between the Early Stone Age and the Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50–25,000 years ago. The beginnings of pa ...

of southern Africa. * A study on an assemblage of Neanderthal remains and Middle Paleolithic artifacts from the Chagyrskaya Cave (

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

) is published by Kolobova ''et al.'' (2020), who compare this assemblage with other Altai sites, and interpret their findings as evidence of at least two Neanderthal incursions into southern

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

. * A high-quality genome of a Neanderthal from the Chagyrskaya Cave is sequenced by Mafessoni ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret the data from the genes expressed in the

striatum The striatum, or corpus striatum (also called the striate nucleus), is a nucleus (a cluster of neurons) in the subcortical basal ganglia of the forebrain. The striatum is a critical component of the motor and reward systems; receives glutamate ...

of the brain as indicating that the striatum may have evolved unique functions in Neanderthals. * Evidence of use of fibre technology by Neanderthals is reported from the Abri du Maras site (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) by Hardy ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of this finding for the knowledge of cognitive abilities of Neanderthals. * García-Martínez ''et al.'' (2020) reconstruct the ribcages of perinatal and infant Neanderthal individuals, and report evidence indicating that most of the skeletal differences between the Neanderthal and modern human thorax were already largely established at birth. * Two new reconstructions of the

Kebara 2 Kebara 2 (or Kebara Mousterian Hominid 2, KMH2) is a 60,000 year-old Levantine Neanderthal mid-body male skeleton. It was discovered in 1983 by Ofer Bar-Yosef, Baruch Arensburg, and Bernard Vandermeersch in a Mousterian layer of Kebara Cave, Isr ...

pelvis are presented by Adegboyega ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of this specimen for the knowledge of the Neanderthal pelvic morphology. * Evidence of stable climatic and environmental conditions in

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

(

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

) during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, when Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted, is presented by Columbu ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as indicating that climate did not play a key role in the disappearance of Neanderthals in this area. * A study on the biological affinities of the Olduvai Hominid 1 is published by Willman ''et al.'' (2020), who also report evidence from tooth wear indicating that this individual wore three facial piercings. * A study on environmental dynamics associated with the replacement of the Acheulean by early

Middle Stone Age The Middle Stone Age (or MSA) was a period of African prehistory between the Early Stone Age and the Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50–25,000 years ago. The beginnings of pa ...

, aiming to determine how shifts in landscape-scale ecological resources might have influenced hominin adaptation during this interval on the basis of data from the

Olorgesailie Olorgesailie is a geological formation in East Africa, on the floor of the Eastern Rift Valley in southern Kenya, southwest of Nairobi along the road to Lake Magadi. It contains a group of Lower Paleolithic archaeological sites. Olorgesaili ...

basin, is published by

Potts Potts may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Doc Potts, animated television series *Tom Potts, Child ballad 109 * The Potts, said to be the world's longest-running cartoon strip drawn by the same artist Mathematics *Potts model, model of interac ...

''et al.'' (2020). * A study on an assemblage more than 400 Late Pleistocene human footprints from Engare Sero (

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

), and on their implications for the knowledge of the body sizes, locomotor behaviors and composition of the group of humans who generated these tracks, is published by Hatala ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret these tracks as likely evidence of cooperative and sexually divided foraging behaviors in Late Pleistocene humans. * Wadley ''et al.'' (2020) report the discovery of grass bedding likely used to create comfortable areas for sleeping and working by people who lived in Border Cave (South Africa) at least 200,000 years ago. * A study on the evolution of early symbolic behavior in ''Homo sapiens'', based on data from the engraved ochre and ostrich eggshell fragments from the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n Blombos Cave and Diepkloof Rock Shelter dating up to about 100,000 years ago, is published by Tylén ''et al.'' (2020). * Hublin ''et al.'' (2020) report the discovery and study the age of human remains found in association with Initial Upper Paleolithic artefacts from the

Bacho Kiro cave The Bacho Kiro cave () is situated west of the town Dryanovo, Bulgaria, only away from the Dryanovo Monastery. It is embedded in the canyons of the Andaka and Dryanovo River. It was opened in 1890 and the first recreational visitors entered the ...

(

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

), and argue that this assemblage represents the earliest arrival of Upper Paleolithic ''Homo sapiens'' in Europe reported so far; a study on the ¹⁴C chronology of this site is published by Fewlass ''et al.'' (2020). * Newborns from a double grave from the

Gravettian The Gravettian was an archaeological industry of the European Upper Paleolithic that succeeded the Aurignacian circa 33,000 years BP. It is archaeologically the last European culture many consider unified, and had mostly disappeared by 2 ...

site Krems-Wachtberg (

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

) are identified as the earliest known case of monozygotic twins by Teschler-Nicola ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the genome of a ~34,000-year-old hominin skull cap discovered in the Salkhit Valley in northeastern

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

is published by Massilani ''et al.'' (2020), who present evidence indicating that this individual was a woman from a modern human population carrying genomic segments of Denisovan ancestry derived from the same Denisovan admixture event that contributed to present-day mainland Asians. * Evidence indicating that the

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

colonization of the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...

was a result of active and continued exploration, backed up by technological advancement, is presented by Kaifu ''et al.'' (2020). * A study aiming to determine the varying reliance of early human colonisers of

Wallacea Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as Lo ...

on tropical forest and terrestrial versus marine resources, as indicated by stable carbon and oxygen isotope data from human and faunal tooth enamel from six Late Pleistocene/Holocene archaeological sequences on

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

and

Alor Island Alor ( id, Pulau Alor) is the largest island in the Alor Archipelago and is one of the 92 officially listed outlying islands of Indonesia. It is located at the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands that runs through southeastern Indonesia, which from ...

, is published by Roberts ''et al.'' (2020). * Bordes ''et al.'' (2020) identify bone micro-residues on two cobbles from the

Cerutti Mastodon site The Cerutti Mastodon site is a paleontological and possible archeological site located in San Diego County, California. In 2017, researchers announced that broken mastodon bones at the site had been dated to around 130,700 years ago. The bones ...

(

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States), and interpret this finding as evidence supporting human agency on bone and stone artefacts from this site. * Evidence from fecal biomarkers indicating that pre-Clovis

coprolite A coprolite (also known as a coprolith) is fossilized feces. Coprolites are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour (in this case, diet) rather than morphology. The name is de ...

s from the Paisley Caves complex (

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

) are human is presented by Shillito ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the timing of the peopling of the Americas, based on chronometric data from 42 North American and

Beringia Beringia is defined today as the land and maritime area bounded on the west by the Lena River in Russia; on the east by the Mackenzie River in Canada; on the north by 72 degrees north latitude in the Chukchi Sea; and on the south by the tip ...

n archaeological sites, is published by Becerra-Valdivia & Higham (2020). * Evidence of human presence in the Americas during the

Last Glacial Maximum The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), also referred to as the Late Glacial Maximum, was the most recent time during the Last Glacial Period that ice sheets were at their greatest extent. Ice sheets covered much of Northern North America, Northern Eur ...

is reported from the Chiquihuite Cave ( Zacatecas,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

) by Ardelean ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as pushing back dates for human dispersal to the region possibly as early as 33,000–31,000 years ago. * A study on the age and duration of the Clovis complex is published by Waters, Stafford & Carlson (2020). * Two Early Holocene hunter-gatherer burials, including a burial of a young adult woman associated with a hunting toolkit of stone projectile points and animal processing tools, are reported from the Wilamaya Patjxa site (

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

) by Haas ''et al.'' (2020), who also review other Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene burials throughout the Americas, and interpret their findings as consistent with nongendered labor practices in which early hunter-gatherer women were big-game hunters.

Rodents

Rodentian research

* Description of new fossil material of '' Cephalomys arcidens'' from the

Deseadan The Deseadan ( es, Deseadense) age is a period of geologic time (29.0–21.0 Ma) within the Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene to the Early Miocene epoch of the Neogene, used more specifically within the SALMA classification of South America. It fo ...

locality of Cabeza Blanca (

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

), and a study on the species belonging to the genus ''Cephalomys'' and on the phylogenetic relationships of cephalomyids, is published by Busker, Dozo & Soto (2020). * A study on brain anatomy and size in '' Neoepiblema acreensis'' is published by Ferreira ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the anatomy of the auditory region of the skull of '' Prospaniomys priscus'' is published by Arnaudo, Arnal & Ekdale (2020). * A study on the locomotor agility of fossil ischyromyid, sciurid and aplodontid rodents, as inferred from the anatomy of the semicircular canals in their inner ear, is published by Bhagat, Bertrand & Silcox (2020). * A study on a specimen of '' Ischyromys douglassi'' from the

White River Formation The White River Formation is a geologic formation of the Paleogene Period, in the northern Great Plains and central Rocky Mountains, within the United States. It has been found in northeastern Colorado, Dawes County in western Nebraska, Badlands ...

of West Canyon Creek (

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

), representing the oldest and most complete articulated skeleton yet known of ''Ischyromys'', is published by Rankin, Emry & Asher (2020), who report that this specimen exhibits anatomical sciuromorphy, and evaluate its implications for the knowledge of jaw musculature evolution in rodents. * A study on the locomotor behavior of '' Paramys delicatus'' is published by Prufrock, Ruff & Rose (2020), who also attempt to determine the body mass of ''P. delicatus'' and other early North American paramyines. * A study on the morphology of the skull of the

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

dormouse ''

Leithia melitensis ''Leithia'' is a genus of extinct giant dormice from the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Sicily. It is considered an example of island gigantism. ''Leithia melitensis'' is the largest known species of dormouse, living or extinct, being twice t ...

'' from the Pleistocene of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

is published by Hennekam ''et al.'' (2020), who present a composite digital model of the skull of this rodent. * A study on the evolution of island gigantism in fossil dormice from

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

and the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

is published by Hennekam ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the diet of Pliocene beavers belonging to the genus ''

Dipoides ''Dipoides'' is an extinct genus of beaver-grouped rodents. ''Dipoides'' were about two thirds the size of modern Canadian beavers. Where modern beavers have square chisel shaped teeth, ''Dipoides'' teeth were rounded. However an excavation of ...

'' from the High Arctic Beaver Pond fossil locality (

Ellesmere Island Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...

,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

), aiming to determine whether early woodcutting behaviour of beavers was driven by nutritional needs, is published by Plint ''et al.'' (2020). * Partial mitochondrial genome of the extinct beaver '' Castoroides'' is reported by Xenikoudakis ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of this finding for the knowledge of the origin of aquatic behavior of beavers. * A study on the anatomy of the skeleton of '' Copemys loxodon'' is published by Ronez, Martin & Pardiñas (2020). * A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of ''

Megaoryzomys ''Megaoryzomys curioi'', also known as the Galápagos giant rat, is an extinct species of sigmodontine rodent, known only from Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Islands. It likely met its demise when European settlers introduced invasive species ...

curioi'' is published by Ronez ''et al.'' (2020). * A study aiming to determine whether insularity might have affected bone metabolism in Late Quaternary murine rodents from

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

is published by Miszkiewicz ''et al.'' (2020).

Xenarthrans

Cingulata

Cingulatan research

*

Osteoderm Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates, or other structures based in the dermis. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles and amphibians, including lizards, crocodilians, frogs, temnospondyls (extinct amp ...

s from three Brazilian '' Holmesina cryptae'' specimens are reported showing lesions of possible ectoparasitic origin, and similar to lesions created by Tungidae

fleas Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, ar ...

.

Pilosa

Pilosan research

* A study on the anatomy of the skull of ''

Pronothrotherium ''Pronothrotherium'' is an extinct genus of ground sloths from Argentina and Uruguay. Fossils of ''Pronothrotherium'' have been found in the Ituzaingó Formation of Argentina.femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...

of a specimen of '' Nothrotherium maquinense'' from the Lapa dos Peixes I cave (

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

) affected by parosteal osteosarcoma, representing the first case of cancer in a Quaternary non-human mammal reported so far. * A study on an assemblage of at least 22 specimens of ''

Eremotherium ''Eremotherium'' (from Greek for "steppe" or "desert beast": ἔρημος "steppe or desert" and θηρίον "beast") is an extinct genus of giant ground sloth, in the family Megatheriidae, the largest and most heavily built family of sloths. ...

laurillardi'' from the Pleistocene locality Tanque Loma (

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

) is published by Lindsey ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret this assemblage as likely resulting from a mass mortality event, and evaluate its implications for the knowledge of the ecology of ground sloths. * Previously unreported postcranial material of the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

specimen of ''

Xibalbaonyx ''Xibalbaonyx'' is an extinct genus of megalonychid ground sloth known from the Late Pleistocene of Mexico. Three species are known: ''X. oviceps'' and ''X. exiniferis'' from the Yucatan peninsula and ''X. microcaninus'' from Jalisco. The genus ...

oviceps'', providing information on the locomotion capabilities of this species, is described by Stinnesbeck ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the external and internal anatomy of the skull of ''

Catonyx ''Catonyx'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. It lived from 2.5 Ma to about 10,000 years ago, existing for approximately . The most recent dat ...

tarijensis'' is published by Boscaini ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the anatomy of the skeleton of the manus of '' Scelidotherium'', and on the phylogenetic relationships of this genus, is published by Nieto ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on a late Pleistocene assemblage of several individuals of ''

Lestodon ''Lestodon'' is an extinct genus of megafaunal ground sloth from South America during the Pliocene to Pleistocene periods. Its fossil remains have been found in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil. Measuring approximat ...

armatus'' from Playa del Barco site (Argentina), aiming to determine the origin of this assemblage and its implications for the knowledge of the biology of ''L. armatus'', is published by Tomassini ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of ''

Glossotherium ''Glossotherium'' is an extinct genus of mylodontid ground sloths of the subfamily Mylodontinae, which includes large ground-dwelling sloths. It represents one of the best known members of the family, along with ''Mylodon'' and ''Paramylodon''. ...

wegneri'' is published by De Iuliis ''et al.'' (2020), who argue against the recognition of ''

Oreomylodon ''Oreomylodon'' is an extinct genus of ground sloth in the family Mylodontidae, endemic to Ecuador during the Pleistocene. The only species, ''O. wegneri'', was long considered to be either a species or subgenus of ''Glossotherium'' (as ''G. wegn ...

'' as a distinct genus. *A study testing the inhibitory cascade model on the evolution of the dentition of sloths is published by Varela ''et al''. (2020).

Other xenarthans

Miscellaneous xenarthan research

* A metacarpal of a member of Xenarthra of uncertain phylogenetic placement is reported from the Eocene

La Meseta Formation The La Meseta Formation is a sedimentary sequence deposited during the Eocene. The formation is found on Seymour Island, Antarctica. Description La Meseta Formation lies unconformably on the Cretaceous Lopez de Bertodano Formation. It is an app ...

(

Seymour Island Seymour Island or Marambio Island, is an island in the chain of 16 major islands around the tip of the Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula. Graham Land is the closest part of Antarctica to South America. It lies within the section of the isla ...

) by Davis ''et al.'' (2020), supporting previously controversial reports of Xenarthra from

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

.

Chiroptera

Chiropteran research

* Part of the

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...

of a large-bodied vampire bat (similar in body size to '' Desmodus draculae'') is described from the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene asphalt-bearing deposit of El Breal de Orocual (

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

) by Czaplewski & Rincón (2020), representing one of the oldest vampire bats in the fossil record reported so far.

Notoungulates

* Studies on the anatomy of the skull of ''

Paedotherium ''Paedotherium'' is an extinct, potentially paraphyletic genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the family Hegetotheriidae, composed of small-sized, rodent or lagomorph-like Meridiungulata, South American ungulates. Four species are unambiguously re ...

'' and ''

Tremacyllus ''Tremacyllus'' is an extinct genus of hegetotheriids. It lived from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene (~7-0.012 Ma) and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America. Description This animal was approximately the size of a har ...

'', and on its implications for the knowledge of the paleobiology of these notoungulates, are published by Ercoli ''et al.'' (2020).

Odd-toed ungulates

* A study comparing changes of body mass of

ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Ungulata which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. These include odd-toed ungulates such as horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, giraffes, cam ...

s belonging to the genera ''

Lophiodon ''Lophiodon'' (from el, λόφος , 'crest' and el, ὀδούς 'tooth') is an extinct genus of mammal related to chalicotheres. It lived in Eocene Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own r ...

'' and ''

Propalaeotherium ''Propalaeotherium'' was an early genus of perissodactyl endemic to Europe and Asia during the early Eocene. There are currently six recognised species within the genus, with ''P. isselanum'' as the type species (named by Georges Cuvier in 1824 ...

'' from the middle Eocene site of

Geiseltal The Geisel valley (german: Geiseltal) is a valley in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated west of Merseburg, Saalekreis district. It is named after the River Geisel which rises in Mücheln and is a tributary of the Saale, just under long. Its main s ...

(

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) is published by Ring ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the diet of lophialetid tapiroids from the Eocene of the

Erlian Basin Erlian may refer to: * Erlian, an alternative name for Erenhot Erenhot ( mn, ; , commonly shortened to Ereen or Erlian) is a county-level city of the Xilin Gol League, in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, located in the Gobi Desert along t ...

(

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

), as indicated by tooth wear, is published online by Gong ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the sexual dimorphism and body size of ''

Plesiaceratherium ''Plesiaceratherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinoceros. It includes two species: ''P. gracile'' from China and ''P. mirallesi'' from France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Euro ...

gracile'' is published by Lu ''et al.'' (2020), who also present a reconstruction of the body of ''P. gracile''. * Iurino ''et al.'' (2020) describe the braincase with a natural brain endocast of a 12–18 months old rhinocerotine

rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

from the Middle Pleistocene site of Melpignano (

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

). * A study on the demographic history of the

woolly rhinoceros The woolly rhinoceros (''Coelodonta antiquitatis'') is an extinct species of rhinoceros that was common throughout Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene epoch and survived until the end of the last glacial period. The woolly rhinoceros was a me ...

leading up to its extinction, based on data from one complete nuclear genome and 14 mitogenomes, is published by Lord ''et al.'' (2020). * A study aiming to determine the diet of the woolly rhinoceros and ''

Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis ''Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis'', also known as Merck's rhinoceros or the forest rhinoceros, is an extinct species of rhino known from the Middle Pleistocene, Middle to Late Pleistocene of Eurasia. One of the last members of the genus ''Stephano ...

'' is published by Stefaniak ''et al.'' (2020). * Revision of the fossil material of hipparionines from the Miocene locality of Tizi N'Tadderht (

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

) is published by Cirilli ''et al.'' (2020). * Catalano ''et al.'' (2020) reconstruct a near complete mitogenome of a specimen of '' Equus hydruntinus'' from San Teodoro Cave (

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

), and evaluate the implications of their findings for the knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships of this taxon. * A study on the geographical origin and mobility behavior of Rancholabrean horses from the La Cinta-Portalitos and La Piedad-Santa Ana sites (

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

), as indicated by radiogenic strontium and stable oxygen isotope data from

tooth enamel Tooth enamel is one of the four major Tissue (biology), tissues that make up the tooth in humans and many other animals, including some species of fish. It makes up the normally visible part of the tooth, covering the Crown (tooth), crown. The ...

, is published by Marín-Leyva ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on near-complete mitochondrial genomes retrieved from specimens of ''

Equus dalianensis Equus may refer to: * ''Equus'' (genus), a genus of animals including horses, donkeys and zebras * ''Equus'' (play), a play by Peter Shaffer * ''Equus'' (film), a film adaptation of the Peter Shaffer play * Equus (comics), a comic book characte ...

'' and

Przewalski's horse Przewalski's horse (, , (Пржевальский ), ) (''Equus ferus przewalskii'' or ''Equus przewalskii''), also called the takhi, Mongolian wild horse or Dzungarian horse, is a rare and endangered horse originally native to the steppes of Ce ...

from Late Pleistocene strata in northeastern China, evaluating their implications for the knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships of these horses, is published by Yuan ''et al.'' (2020).

Even-toed ungulates

* A systematic revision of the even-toed ungulate fauna from Aumelas and Saint-Martin-de-Londres localities (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

), and a study on the implications of these ungulates for the knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of early endemic even-toed ungulates from Europe, is published by Busker, Dozo & Soto (2020). * New sample of isolated fossil auditory

ossicles The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bones in either middle ear that are among the smallest bones in the human body. They serve to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth (cochlea). The absence of the auditory ...

of cainotheriids is reported from the

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

karstic infillings of Dams (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

) by Assemat ''et al.'' (2020), who provide the first description of a reconstructed ossicular chain of '' Caenomeryx filholi''. * A study on the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

fossil record of the family

Camelidae Camelids are members of the biological family Camelidae, the only currently living family in the suborder Tylopoda. The seven extant members of this group are: dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, ...

, aiming to determine the timing of the divergence between the Bactrian camel and the

dromedary The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'' or ;), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel, or one-humped camel, is a large even-toed ungulate, of the genus ''Camelus'', with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three species of ...

, is published by Geraads ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the phylogenetic relationships of fossil South and North American camelids is published by Lynch, Sánchez-Villagra & Balcarcel (2020), who also describe a partial skeleton of a member of

Lamini Lamini (members are called ''laminoids'') is a tribe of the subfamily Camelinae. It contains one extant genus with four species, all exclusively from South America: llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. The former two are domesticated specie ...

from the

Ensenadan The Ensenadan age is a period of geologic time (1.2–0.8 Ma) within the Early Pleistocene epoch of the Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ...

locality of San Nicolas (

Buenos Aires Province Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...

,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

). * A study on the systematic relationships of extant and fossil members of the family Cervidae is published by Heckeberg (2020). * A study on the evolution of the cycle of growth, death and regeneration of

antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally found only on male ...

s in cervids, based on data from fossil and extant taxa, is published by Rössner, Costeur & Scheyer (2020). * A study on the brain endocast of '' Antifer ensenadensis'' is published by Fontoura ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the diet of ''

Cervus astylodon ''Cervus astylodon'', the Ryukyu dwarf deer, is a recently extinct species of cervid that was endemic to the Ryukyu islands (Okinawa, Ishigaki Island, Ishigaki, Kume, Tokunoshima). It lived throughout the Pleistocene, going extinct as recently as ...

'', as indicated by data from tooth microwear, is published by Kubo & Fujita (2020). * Postcranial remains and first almost complete skulls of members of the genus ''

Samotherium ''Samotherium'' ("beast of Samos") is an extinct genus of Giraffidae from the Miocene and Pliocene of Eurasia and Africa. ''Samotherium'' had two ossicones on its head, and long legs. The ossicones usually pointed upward, and were curved backward ...

'' are described from the Middle Maragheh sequence (northwest

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

) by Parizad ''et al.'' (2020), who also discuss the validity of the genus ''Alcicephalus''. * Description of new fossil

bovid The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, the ...

material from Xishuigou (

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...

, China) and a revision of the type material of ''"

Eotragus ''Eotragus'' is an extinct genus of early bovid. Species belonging to the genus inhabited Europe, Africa, and Asia during the Miocene some 20-18 million years ago. It is related to the modern nilgai and four-horned antelope. It was small and pr ...

" halamagaiensis'' from the Halamagai Formation (

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

, China) is published by Li ''et al.'' (2020), who transfer ''"E." halamagaiensis'' to the genus '' Turcocerus''. * New fossil material of ''

Miotragocerus ''Miotragocerus'', also known as the European eland, is an extinct species of antelope that once lived in Europe in 10 to 8 million years ago. They were most likely browsers Browse, browser or browsing may refer to: Programs * Web browser, a ...

monacensis'', including the most complete skull of a member of this species reported so far, is described from the late Miocene hominid locality Hammerschmiede (southern

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) by Hartung, Lechner & Böhme (2020). * A record of the European water buffalo dating to the time of the

Bølling–Allerød warming The Bølling–Allerød interstadial (), also called the Late Glacial Interstadial, was an abrupt warm and moist interstadial period that occurred during the final stages of the Last Glacial Period. This warm period ran from 14,690 to 12,890 ye ...

is reported from the Moscow Region of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

by Vislobokova ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of this finding for the knowledge of the dispersal and final extinction of this species. * A study on the anatomy of molars of extant and fossil

suids Suidae is a family of artiodactyl mammals which are commonly called pigs, hogs or swine. In addition to numerous fossil species, 18 extant species are currently recognized (or 19 counting domestic pigs and wild boars separately), classified into ...

, and on its implications for reconstructions of diets of fossil suids from the Plio-Pleistocene

Turkana Basin An '' Acacia'' tree in the Kokiselei river, northern Kenya The greater Turkana Basin in East Africa (mainly northwestern Kenya and southern Ethiopia, smaller parts of eastern Uganda and southeastern South Sudan) determines a large endorheic bas ...

(

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

), is published by Rannikko ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the anatomy of the

deciduous teeth Deciduous teeth or primary teeth, also informally known as baby teeth, milk teeth, or temporary teeth,Illustrated Dental Embryology, Histology, and Anatomy, Bath-Balogh and Fehrenbach, Elsevier, 2011, page 255 are the first set of teeth in the ...

of members of Cetartiodactyla, and on its implications for the knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships within

Hippopotamoidea Ancodonta is an infraorder of semiaquatic artiodactyl ungulates including modern hippopotamus and all mammals closer to hippos than to cetaceans (whales). Ancodonts first appeared in the Middle Eocene, with some of the earliest representative ...

, is published by Rodrigues ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as supporting the emergence of the family

Hippopotamidae Hippopotamidae is a family of stout, naked-skinned, and semiaquatic artiodactyl mammals, possessing three-chambered stomachs and walking on four toes on each foot. While they resemble pigs physiologically, their closest living relatives are t ...

within bothriodontine

anthracotheres Anthracotheriidae is a paraphyletic family of extinct, hippopotamus-like artiodactyl ungulates related to hippopotamuses and whales. The oldest genus, ''Elomeryx'', first appeared during the middle Eocene in Asia. They thrived in Africa and Euras ...

from the

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

of Africa. * A study comparing the distribution of ecomorphologies in the artiodactyl communities of North American Neogene savannas and modern-day African savannas is published by Morales-García, Säilä & Janis (2020).

Cetaceans

* A study on the evolution of asymmetry in the skulls of living and extinct cetaceans is published by Coombs ''et al.'' (2020). * A study comparing the morphology of the carpus of '' Ambulocetus natans'', other

archaeocetes Archaeoceti ("ancient whales"), or Zeuglodontes in older literature, is a paraphyletic group of primitive cetaceans that lived from the Early Eocene to the late Oligocene (). Representing the earliest cetacean radiation, they include the initial ...

and Eocene terrestrial even-toed ungulates, and evaluating its implications for the knowledge of the evolution of the forelimbs of early cetaceans, is published by Gavazzi ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the distributional patterns of the aetiocetids is published by Cisneros & Velez-Juarbe (2020). * A vertebra of a small member of Neoceti, representing one of the earliest known members of this group, is described from the Eocene Submeseta Formation (

Seymour Island Seymour Island or Marambio Island, is an island in the chain of 16 major islands around the tip of the Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula. Graham Land is the closest part of Antarctica to South America. It lies within the section of the isla ...

,

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

) by Davydenko, Mörs & Gol'din (2020), who evaluate the implications of this finding for the knowledge of the early evolution of Neoceti.

Carnivorans

* A study on changes in hindlimb functional diversity in North American carnivoran communities (especially in felids) over the last 19 million years is published by Polly (2020). * Description of the tarsal bones of the bear dogs from the Paleogene of Europe, and a study on the evolution of posture and locomotion of European bear dogs, is published by Fournier ''et al.'' (2020). * New fossil material of '' Megamphicyon giganteus'', providing new information on the locomotor adaptations of this species and allowing an estimation of its body mass, is described from the middle Miocene ( MN6) site of Carpetana (

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

) by Siliceo ''et al.'' (2020). * A study aiming to determine the impact of large body size and adaptation to

hypercarnivory A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat, either via active predation or by scavenging. The remaining non-meat diet may consist of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material. Some extant exampl ...

on extinction risk throughout the evolutionary history of North American canids is published by Balisi & Van Valkenburgh (2020). * A study on the anatomy of the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

specimen of '' Vulpes alopecoides'' and on the diversity of the Plio-Pleistocene members of the genus ''

Vulpes '' Vulpes '' is a genus of the sub-family Caninae. The members of this genus are colloquially referred to as true foxes, meaning they form a proper clade. The word "fox" occurs in the common names of all species of the genus, but also appears ...

'' from Europe is published by Bartolini Lucenti & Madurell-Malapeira (2020), who consider the species ''Vulpes praeglacialis'' and ''V. praecorsac'' to be

junior synonyms The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linn ...

of ''V. alopecoides''. * A study on the anatomy and likely diet of '' "Canis" ferox'' is published online by Bartolini Lucenti & Rook (2020), who transfer this species to the genus ''

Eucyon ''Eucyon'' (Greek: : good, true; : dog) is an extinct genus of medium omnivorous coyote-like canid that first appeared in the Western United States during the late Middle Miocene 10 million years ago. It was the size of a jackal and weighed ...

''. * Tong ''et al.'' (2020) document dental injuries (likely caused by processing hard food, such as bones) and infections and a healed

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

fracture in specimens of ''

Canis chihliensis The evolution of the wolf occurred over a geologic time scale of at least 300 thousand years. The Wolf, grey wolf ''Canis lupus'' is a highly adaptable species that is able to exist in a range of environments and which possesses a wide distribut ...

'' from the Early Pleistocene

Nihewan Basin Xiaochangliang () is the site of some of the earliest paleolithic remains in East Asia, located in the Nihewan (泥河灣) Basin in Yangyuan County, Hebei, China, most famous for the stone tools discovered there. Stone tools The tool forms disco ...

(China), and interpret these findings as possible evidence of social hunting and family care in this canid. * A study comparing the anatomy of

hyoid bone The hyoid bone (lingual bone or tongue-bone) () is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies between the base of the mandible and the third cervical vertebr ...

s of

dire wolves The dire wolf (''Aenocyon dirus'' ) is an extinct canine. It is one of the most famous prehistoric carnivores in North America, along with its extinct competitor ''Smilodon''. The dire wolf lived in the Americas and eastern Asia during the L ...

and

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

s from

La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' in Spanish) has seeped up from the gro ...

with those of extant canids, and evaluating the implications of reported anatomical differences for the knowledge of likely vocalizations of fossil canids, is published by Flores ''et al.'' (2020). *The study of the extensive record of ''Canis'' from Dmanisi showed the combination so primitive and derived species that contrast with the previous interpretation of these specimens to ''Canis'' ''etruscus'' and support the description of the new species ''

Canis borjgali ''Canis'' is a genus of the Caninae which includes multiple extant species, such as wolves, dogs, coyotes, and golden jackals. Species of this genus are distinguished by their moderate to large size, their massive, well-developed skulls and den ...

'', very close to '' Canis mosbachensis'' and probably to modern

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...

,

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

s and affine

dogs The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

(Bartolini Lucenti ''et al.'' 2020 ) * Partial fragment of the mandible of a dire wolf is described from the Late Pleistocene of northeastern China by Lu ''et al.'' (2020), representing the first record of this species from Eurasia reported so far. * Ramos-Madrigal ''et al.'' (2020) sequence the genomes of four Pleistocene wolves from Northeast Siberia, including specimens with divergent skull morphologies. * A study on a 57,000-years-old wolf pup mummy discovered in thawing permafrost in the Klondike goldfields (

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

), aiming to determine her appearance, evolutionary relationships, life history and ecology, is published by Meachen ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on fossil canid remains from the Pleistocene of the

Paglicci Cave Paglicci Cave is an archaeological site situated in Paglicci, near Rignano Garganico, Apulia, southern Italy. The cave, discovered in the 1950s, is the most important cave of Gargano. The cave is an attraction of the Gargano National Park. Desc ...

and the Romanelli Cave (southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

) is published by Boschin ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as attesting the presence of dogs in Italy at least 14,000

calibrated years Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was dev ...

before present. * A study on the genomes of modern Greenland sled dogs, an ~9500-year-old Siberian dog associated with archaeological evidence for sled technology, and an ~33,000-year-old Siberian wolf is published by Sinding ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as indicating that sled dogs represent an ancient lineage going back at least 9500 years and that wolves bred with the ancestors of sled dogs and precontact American dogs. * A study on aiming to reconstruct dog population history, based on data from 27 ancient (up to 10.9 thousand years old) dog genomes from Europe, the Near East and Siberia, is published by Bergström ''et al.'' (2020). * New specimen of ''

Agnotherium ''Agnotherium'' is a genus of large sized carnivoran mammals, belonging to the Amphicyonidae ("bear dogs"), which has been found in Western Europe, and possibly Northern Africa, and lived during the Late Miocene epoch. Despite only being known fr ...

antiquum'', providing new information on the anatomy of this species, is described from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

locality of

Eppelsheim Eppelsheim is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography The municipality ...

(

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) by Morlo ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret this species as a powerful, strictly carnivorous ambush hunter. * A metacarpal bone of a short-faced bear is described from Daisy Cave ( San Miguel Island,

California Channel Islands The Channel Islands () are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, and ...

) by Mychajliw ''et al.'' (2020), who attempt to the determine the most likely explanation of the occurrence of this specimen on San Miguel Island. * A study on anatomical specializations in

cave bear The cave bear (''Ursus spelaeus'') is a prehistoric species of bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum. Both the word "cave" and the scientific name ' ...

s for longer hibernation periods, and on their impact on feeding biomechanics in cave bears, is published by Pérez-Ramos ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the diet of cave bears from cave sites in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, as indicated by nitrogen isotope values of individual amino acids from fossil collagen, is published by Naito ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the relationship between the shape of tooth crown surfaces and feeding behaviour in living bears, evaluating its implications for the knowledge of likely diet and possible extinction causes of cave bears, is published by Pérez-Ramos ''et al.'' (2020). * Description of new fossils and a review of the fossil material of large

mustelids The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in the ...

'' Sivaonyx hendeyi'' and ''

Plesiogulo ''Plesiogulo'' is a genus of prehistoric carnivore that lived from Miocene to Pliocene of Africa, Eurasia and North America. An ancestral relationship to the wolverine (''Gulo gulo'') was once suggested, but it is no longer considered likely. How ...

'' aff. ''monspessulanus'' from the Pliocene of the Langebaanweg fossil site (

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) is published by Valenciano & Govender (2020). * Description of new fossil material of ''

Mellivora benfieldi ''Mellivora benfieldi'' or Benfield's honey badger is an extinct species of mustelid from the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene of Africa and possibly Europe. Taxonomy ''Mellivora benfieldi'' is considered a likely ancestor of the living honey badg ...

'' from the Langebaanweg site and a revision of the taxonomic status of Mio–Pliocene African mellivorines is published by Valenciano & Govender (2020), who name a new tribe Eomellivorini. * A study on the phylogenetic relationships of extant and fossil

pinniped Pinnipeds (pronounced ), commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walru ...

s is published by Paterson ''et al.'' (2020). * New fossil material of pinnipeds, including fossils referrable to Phocidae and a

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...

referrable specifically to Monachinae, is described from the Upper Miocene–Lower Pliocene Beaumaris Local Fauna (Victoria,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

) by Rule, Adams & Fitzgerald (2020), who evaluate the implications of these fossils for the knowledge of the origins of the southern true seals from the Southern Ocean. * Rule, Hocking & Fitzgerald (2020) describe a tooth of a monachine seal from the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Whalers Bluff Formation ( Victoria,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

), and evaluate its implications for the knowledge of the timing of pinniped faunal turnovers in the Southern Hemisphere. * Fossil teeth of a hyaenid ''

Adcrocuta ''Adcrocuta'' is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore in the family Hyaenidae that lived during the Miocene period The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named ...

eximia'' and a saber-toothed cat belonging or related to the genus ''

Paramachaerodus ''Paramachaerodus'' is an extinct genus of saber-tooth cat of the subfamily Machairodontinae, which was endemic to Europe and Asia during the late Miocene from 15 to 9 Ma. ''Paramacheirodus'' is one of the oldest known true saber-toothed cat ...

'' are described from the Miocene Chu Formation (

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...

) by Miller ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate the implications of these fossils for the knowledge of

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

in the fossil fauna in Kyrgyzstan. * A study on the evolutionary history of the genus ''

Crocuta ''Crocuta'' is a genus of hyena containing the largest living member of the family, the spotted hyena ''(Crocuta crocuta)''. Several fossil species are known as well. Taxonomy It is still unclear whether the genus evolved in Africa or Asia, altho ...

'', based on paleogenomic data from Late Pleistocene

cave hyena The cave hyena (''Crocuta crocuta spelaea''), also known as the Ice Age spotted hyena, was a paleosubspecies of spotted hyena which ranged from the Iberian Peninsula to eastern Siberia. It is one of the best known mammals of the Ice Age and is w ...

s from across Eurasia and on population-level genomic data from sub-Saharan

spotted hyena The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...

s, is published by Westbury ''et al.'' (2020). * Description of a skull of ''Machairodus giganteus'' from the late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

locality Hadjidimovo (

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

), and a study on the evolution of the genus '' Machairodus'', is published by Geraads & Spassov (2020). * A study on the evolutionary history of ''

Homotherium ''Homotherium'', also known as the scimitar-toothed cat or scimitar cat, is an extinct genus of machairodontine saber-toothed predator, often termed scimitar-toothed cats, that inhabited North America, South America, Eurasia, and Africa during th ...

'', as indicated by genomic analyses, is published by Barnett ''et al.'' (2020). * An almost complete skull of '' Smilodon populator'', likely belonging to one of the largest known specimens of the genus with an estimated body mass over 400 kg, is described from the Lujanian Dolores Formation (

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

) by Manzuetti ''et al.'' (2020). * Fossil material of '' Panthera gombaszoegensis georgica'', representing the first record of the Eurasian jaguar in southern Asia, is described from the middle Early Pleistocene Haro River quarry (

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

) by Jiangzuo & Liu (2020), who present a new dispersal scenario of the jaguar in Eurasia, and compare the morphology of the teeth of the Eurasian jaguar and the living jaguar. * A study on the evolutionary history of the cave lion, based on data from mitochondrial genomes of cave lions from across their entire prehistoric range, is published by Stanton ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the evolutionary history of lions, based on whole-genome resequencing data from a set of modern, historic, and Pleistocene lions, is published by de Manuel ''et al.'' (2020).

Other eutherians

Miscellaneous eutherian research

* Eberle, von Koenigswald & Eberth (2020) study the enamel microstructure of mammalian tooth fragments from the Strathcona Fiord Fossil Forest (Eocene

Margaret Formation The Margaret Formation is a geologic formation of the Eureka Sound Group in the Sverdrup Basin in Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada. The unit belonging to the Eureka Sound Group which crops out at Ellesmere Island preserves fossils dating ...

;

Ellesmere Island Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...

,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

), and identify them as teeth of '' Coryphodon''. * Redescription of the type material of ''

Carodnia ''Carodnia'' is an extinct genus of South American ungulate known from the Early Eocene of Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. ''Carodnia'' is placed in the order ''Xenungulata'' together with ''Etayoa'' and '' Notoetayoa''. ''Carodnia'' is the larg ...

feruglioi'', providing new information on the anatomy of this species, is published by Vera, Fornasiero & del Favero (2020). * A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the litopterns is published by Chimento & Agnolin (2020), who recover the litopterns as pan- perissodactyls, and evaluate the palaeobiogeographical implications of litoptern affinities. * A study on the dietary habits of ''

Macrauchenia ''Macrauchenia'' ("long llama", based on the now-invalid llama genus, ''Auchenia'', from Greek "big neck") was a large, long-necked and long-limbed, three-toed native South American mammal in the order Litopterna. The genus gives its name to its ...

patachonica'' and '' Xenorhinotherium bahiense'' is published by de Oliveira ''et al.'' (2020); the study is subsequently criticized by Dantas, Lobo & Bernardes (2020). * A study on the anatomy, phylogenetic relationships and likely diet and locomotion of ''

Cambaytherium ''Cambaytherium'' is an extinct genus of placental mammals in the family Cambaytheriidae whose fossils were found in an open pit coal mine located in Gujarat, India. The mine was a treasure trove full of teeth and bones, over 200 of which were id ...

'' is published by Rose ''et al.'' (2020), who also name a new clade Perissodactylamorpha containing the group Anthracobunia and odd-toed ungulates. * Virtual endocast of the

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

lagomorph '' Megalagus turgidus'' is reconstructed by López-Torres ''et al.'' (2020). * Description of new fossil material of '' Arnebolagus leporinus'' from the Eocene Naran Bulak Formation (

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

) and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this taxon is published by Lopatin & Averianov (2020), who name new clades Eulagomorpha and Epilagomorpha. * A study on the body mass, eco-evolutionary dynamics and adaptations to insular conditions in fossil pikas ''

Prolagus apricenicus ''Prolagus'' is an extinct genus of pika within the order Lagomorpha. Over 20 species of ''Prolagus'' have been named, beginning in the Early Miocene in Europe 20 million years ago, where it ranged widely for most of the epoch; by the end of the ...

'' and ''

Prolagus imperialis ''Prolagus imperialis'' was an extinct species in the genus ''Prolagus''. It was one of the species in this genus that were recently discovered. ''Prolagus imperialis'' may have resembled a pika. Nomenclature ''Prolagus imperialis'' was named ...

'' is published by Moncunill-Solé (2020). * A study on the morphology of teeth and likely dietary ecology of the fossil

treeshrew The treeshrews (or tree shrews or banxrings) are small mammals native to the tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia. They make up the entire order Scandentia, which split into two families: the Tupaiidae (19 species, "ordinary" treeshrews) ...

s '' Prodendrogale yunnanica'' and ''

Ptilocercus kylin ''Ptilocercus'' is a genus of treeshrew and the sole member of the family Ptilocercidae. Taxonomy Today the genus (and family) is represented by a single species, the pen-tailed treeshrew ''(Ptilocercus lowii)''. However, this genus is very anc ...

'' is published by Selig ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the anatomy of the skull of ''

Microsyops ''Microsyops'' is a plesiadapiform primate found in Middle Eocene in North America. It is in the family Microsyopidae, a Plesiadapiformes, plesiadapiform family characterized by distinctive lanceolate lower first incisors. It appears to have had ...

annectens'' is published by Silcox, Gunnell & Bloch (2020).

General eutherian research

* A review of the origins, evolution and paleoecology of major

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

s of extinct native South American ungulates is published by Croft, Gelfo & López (2020). * A study on the evolution of feeding strategies in marine mammals throughout their evolutionary history is published by Berta & Lanzetti (2020). * A study on zinc isotope ratios in

tooth enamel Tooth enamel is one of the four major Tissue (biology), tissues that make up the tooth in humans and many other animals, including some species of fish. It makes up the normally visible part of the tooth, covering the Crown (tooth), crown. The ...

of Late Pleistocene mammals from the Tam Hay Marklot cave (

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

) is published by Bourgon ''et al.'' (2020), who evaluate potential utility of zinc isotopes as dietary tracers in paleontology and archeology. * A study on the dietary patterns of nine herbivore families from the Shungura Formation (

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

) throughout the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, as indicated by carbon isotope data from fossil teeth, is published by Negash ''et al.'' (2020). * Hominin and non-hominin mammal footprints and fossils dating to the last interglacial are reported from the Alathar lacustrine deposit in the western Nefud Desert (

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

) by Stewart ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret this finding as likely to be the earliest evidence of ''Homo sapiens'' in the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...

reported so far. * A study on ancient DNA recovered from fragmented

bovid The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, the ...

and rhinoceros specimens from the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

site of Shannashuzha is published by Chen ''et al.'' (2020), who interpret their findings as indicating that the gaur and a rhinoceros closely related to the extant Sumatran rhinoceros lived as far north as the margin of the northeastern

Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau (, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qing–Zang Plateau () or as the Himalayan Plateau in India, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central, South and East Asia covering most of the Ti ...

during the late Neolithic.

Metatherians

Metatherian research

* Two isolated teeth of

stagodontid Stagodontidae is an extinct family of carnivorous metatherian mammals that inhabited North America and Europe during the late Cretaceous, and possibly to the Eocene in South America. Description Currently, the family includes four genera, ''E ...

metatherians are described from the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous Series. An age is a unit of geochronology; it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the s ...

of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

by Vullo ''et al.'' (2020), representing the first reported occurrence of stagodontids in Europe. * A study on the anatomy of the skull of '' Andinodelphys cochabambensis'', and on the phylogenetic relationships of this species, is published by de Muizon & Ladevèze (2020). * A study comparing the anatomy of the skull and teeth of '' Thylacosmilus atrox'' and placental saber-toothed carnivores is published by Janis ''et al.'' (2020), who question the interpretation of ''T. atrox'' as having a similar type of predatory behavior to placental saber-tooths, and consider it unlikely that ''T. atrox'' used its

canines Canine may refer to: Zoology and anatomy * a dog-like Canid animal in the subfamily Caninae ** ''Canis'', a genus including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals ** Dog, the domestic dog * Canine tooth, in mammalian oral anatomy People with the surn ...

to dispatch its prey. * A study on the anatomy of the petrosal and inner ear of ''

Peratherium ''Peratherium'' is a genus of metatherian mammals in the family Herpetotheriidae that lived in Europe and Africa from the Early Eocene to the Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch ( ...

elegans'' and ''

Amphiperatherium ''Amphiperatherium'' is an extinct genus of metatherian mammal, closely related to marsupials. It ranged from the Early Eocene to the Middle Miocene in Europe. It is the most recent metatherian known from the continent. Description Like modern ...

elegans'', and on its implications for the knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships of herpetotheriids and peradectids, is published online by Ladevèze, Selva & de Muizon (2020). * A study on the anatomy of the teeth of '' Groeberia'', and on the phylogenetic affinities of this genus, is published by Zimicz & Goin (2020). * A study on the relationship between variation in skull and mandibular shape of extant and extinct macropodiforms and ecological factors such as diet, locomotion and body mass, and on the implications of this relationship for the knowledge of the feeding ecology of the fossil macropodiforms from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, is published online by Butler ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the morphology of the

humeri The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a round ...

of fossil kangaroos belonging to the subfamily

Sthenurinae Sthenurinae (from ''Sthenurus'', Greek for 'strong-tailed') is a subfamily within the marsupial family Macropodidae, known as 'short faced kangaroos'. No members of this subfamily are extant today, with all becoming extinct by the late Pleistocen ...

and of ''

Protemnodon ''Protemnodon'' is an extinct genus of megafaunal macropodids that existed in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. It is also called the giant kangaroo. Taxonomy Recent analysis of mtDNA extracted from fossils ind ...

'', evaluating its implications for the knowledge of the mode of locomotion in these marsupials, is published online by Janis ''et al.'' (2020). *The hypothesis that marsupial forelimbs are restricted by long-term developmental constraints resulting from their reproductive strategy, is challenged in a paper to be published by Martin-Serra and Benson (2020).

Allotheria

Euharamiyida

Gondwanatheria

Multituberculata

Multituberculate research

* A study on the evolution of morphological diversity of fourth

premolar The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...

s in cimolodontan multituberculates is published by Weaver & Wilson (2020).

Other mammals

Miscellaneous mammalian research

* A study on the phylogenetic relationships of

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...

mammals, aiming to determine the morphological character complexes with a high potential to introduce phylogenetic error, is published by Celik & Phillips (2020). * A study on maximum lifespans and blood flow rates of ''

Morganucodon ''Morganucodon'' (" Glamorgan tooth") is an early mammaliaform genus that lived from the Late Triassic to the Middle Jurassic. It first appeared about 205 million years ago. Unlike many other early mammaliaforms, ''Morganucodon'' is well represe ...

'' and '' Kuehneotherium'', evaluating their implications for the knowledge of

basal Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''. Science * Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure * Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...

and maximum metabolic rates in these taxa, is published by Newham ''et al.'' (2020); their conclusions are subsequently contested by Meiri & Levin (2022). * A study on the jaw morphology, jaw movement and occlusion in ''

Priacodon ''Priacodon'' is an extinct genus of Late Jurassic eutriconodont mammal from the Alcobaça Formation of Portugal and the Morrison Formation of the midwestern United States. It is present in stratigraphic zones 4–6 of the latter.Foster, J. (200 ...

'', and on its implications for the knowledge of the occlusal mode and likely diet of triconodontids in general, is published by Jäger, Cifelli & Martin (2020).

General research

* A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the

haramiyida Haramiyida ("thief" from Arabic الحرامية (al ḥarāmiyah), "thief, bandit") is a possibly polyphyletic order of mammaliaform cynodonts or mammals of controversial taxonomic affinites. Their teeth, which are by far the most common remains ...

ns and on the consistency between the known

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

and age of '' Juramaia'' and other

mammaliaforms Mammaliaformes ("mammalian forms") is a clade that contains the crown group mammals and their closest extinct relatives; the group radiated from earlier probainognathian cynodonts. It is defined as the clade originating from the most recen ...

from the Yanliao Biota, as indicated by Bayesian tip-dated phylogenetic methods, is published by King & Beck (2020). * A study on the community-level response of North American mammals to

Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum The Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), alternatively (ETM1), and formerly known as the "Initial Eocene" or "", was a time period with a more than 5–8 °C global average temperature rise across the event. This climate event o ...

is published by Fraser & Lyons (2020). * A study aiming to determine resource and habitat use, niche occupation and trophic interactions of mammals living during the

Great American Interchange The Great American Biotic Interchange (commonly abbreviated as GABI), also known as the Great American Interchange and the Great American Faunal Interchange, was an important late Cenozoic paleozoogeographic biotic interchange event in which lan ...

, as indicated by carbon and oxygen stable isotope compositions of

tooth enamel Tooth enamel is one of the four major Tissue (biology), tissues that make up the tooth in humans and many other animals, including some species of fish. It makes up the normally visible part of the tooth, covering the Crown (tooth), crown. The ...

of fossil mammals from the late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

to the late

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

of the Pampean region of

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, is published by Domingo ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on predator richness in mammalian communities from the Miocene Santa Cruz Formation (Argentina), aiming to determine whether the mammalian predator guild from this area was impoverished prior to the Great American Interchange, is published by Rodríguez-Gómez ''et al.'' (2020). * A study on the causes of the asymmetrical character of the Great American Biotic Interchange, with an increasing dominance of mammals of North American origin in South America during the Pleistocene, is published by Carrillo ''et al.'' (2020), who argue that the asymmetry was caused by higher extinction of mammals with South American origin, which in turn reduced the diversity of South American taxa that dispersed into North America. * A study on environmental changes in Southeast Asia from the Early Pleistocene to the Holocene, based on stable isotope data from Southeast Asian mammals, and on their impact on the evolution of mammals (including hominins), is published by Louys & Roberts (2020). * A study on changes of mammalian extinction rates over the past 126,000 years, aiming to determine whether, and to what extent, species extinctions during this time period can be attributed to anthropogenic or to climatic factors, is published by Andermann ''et al.'' (2020).

References

{{reflist 2020 in paleontology Prehistoric mammals

Afrotherians

Proboscidea

Proboscidea research

Sirenia

Sirenian research

Other afrotherians

Miscellaneous afrotherian research

Euarchontoglires

Primates

General primate research

Paleoanthropological research

Rodents

Rodentian research

Xenarthrans

Cingulata

Cingulatan research

Pilosa

Pilosan research

Other xenarthans

Miscellaneous xenarthan research

Chiroptera

Chiropteran research

Notoungulates

Odd-toed ungulates

Even-toed ungulates

Cetaceans

Carnivorans

Other eutherians

Miscellaneous eutherian research

General eutherian research

Metatherians

Metatherian research

Allotheria

Euharamiyida

Gondwanatheria

Multituberculata

Multituberculate research

Other mammals

Miscellaneous mammalian research

General research

References