Tapirus veroensis

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Tapirus veroensis
Temporal range: Pleistocene
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Tapirus veroensis AMNH.jpg
Skeletal mount, American Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Tapiridae
Genus: Tapirus
Species:
T. veroensis
Binomial name
Tapirus veroensis
Sellards, 1918

Tapirus veroensis is an extinct tapir species that lived in the area of the modern eastern and southern United States during the Pleistocene epoch (Irvingtonian-Rancholabrean). Tapirus veronensis is thought to have gone extinct around 11,000 years ago. [1]

Contents

History

The first complete skull with full dentition of T. veroensis fossil was found at Vero Beach, Florida, in 1915 and named in 1918 by the Florida State Geologist E. H. Sellards. Fragmentary specimens had been described by Leidy as early as 1852. [1]

Taxonomy

T. veroensis jaws, Tellus Science Museum Tellus Tapirus.jpg
T. veroensis jaws, Tellus Science Museum

The taxonomy of Pleistocene North American tapirs has long been the subject of confusion, with many named species now recognised as synonyms of T. veroensis. Tapirus veroensis is the type species of the subgenus Helicotapirus, which includes several other species of extinct tapir from North America like T. lundeliusi and T. haysii. These tapirs are thought to be more closely related to living South American tapirs than to the Malayan tapir. [2] T. veroensis was coeval with T.merriami and T.californicus, native to Western North America, but their poor preservation makes their relationships to other tapirs uncertain. [2]

Distribution

Tapirus veroensis inhabited the Southern and Eastern United States, ranging as far west as Texas and as far north as Illinois and New York State, with a large number of finds being known from Florida. [3]

Physical characteristics

Tapirus veroensis was adapted to living in cold environments like the living mountain tapir (pictured) Mountain Tapir2.jpg
Tapirus veroensis was adapted to living in cold environments like the living mountain tapir (pictured)
Diagram of skull in side-on view Tapirus veroensis.svg
Diagram of skull in side-on view

Tapirus veroensis is thought to have been more tolerant of cold environments than most living tapirs, similar to the living mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque). [3] It was mid-sized for a tapir, comparable in size to Baird's tapir or the South American tapir, with an estimated body weight of approximately 230 kilograms (510 lb). [4] The sagittal crest was low in comparison to some other tapir species. [5] It has been estimated to have had a relatively high bite force, and was probably capable of consuming a wide variety of vegetation. [6]

Ecology

T. veroensis has been found in Jones Springs (Missouri) deposits in association with deciduous trees and American alligators. The age of the deposits are older than 40,000-60,000 years old, during a relatively warmer yet still temperate interglacial period. The climate would have been analogous to central and southern Arkansas. [3]

Specimens from Crankshaft Pit, Missouri, in contrast were found in association with cold adapted animals like Arctic shrews, Northern bog lemmings, snowshoe hares, southern red-backed voles, etc. As a result, T. veroensis appears to have been able to tolerate a broad range of temperatures. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equidae</span> Family of hoofed mammals

Equidae is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, asses, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. The family evolved around 50 million years ago from a small, multi-toed ungulate into larger, single-toed animals. All extant species are in the genus Equus, which originated in North America. Equidae belongs to the order Perissodactyla, which includes the extant tapirs and rhinoceros, and several extinct families. It is more specifically grouped within the superfamily Equoidea, the only other family being the extinct Palaeotheriidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perissodactyla</span> Order of hoofed mammals

Perissodactyla is an order of ungulates. The order includes about 17 living species divided into three families: Equidae, Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceroses), and Tapiridae (tapirs). They typically have reduced the weight-bearing toes to three or one of the five original toes, though tapirs retain four toes on their front feet. The nonweight-bearing toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or positioned posteriorly. By contrast, artiodactyls bear most of their weight equally on four or two of the five toes: their third and fourth toes. Another difference between the two is that perissodactyls digest plant cellulose in their intestines, rather than in one or more stomach chambers as artiodactyls, with the exception of Suina, do.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tapir</span> Herbivorous mammal native to South and Central America, and Southeast Asia

Tapirs are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America and Southeast Asia. They are one of three extant branches of Perissodactyla, alongside equines and rhinoceroses. Only a single genus, Tapirus, is currently extant. Tapirs migrated into South America during the Pleistocene epoch from North America after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama as part of the Great American Interchange. Tapirs were formerly present across North America, but became extinct in the region at the end of the Late Pleistocene, around 12,000 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South American tapir</span> Species of mammal

The South American tapir, also commonly called the Brazilian tapir, the Amazonian tapir, the maned tapir, the lowland tapir, anta, and la sachavaca, is one of the four recognized species in the tapir family. It is the largest surviving native terrestrial mammal in the Amazon.

<i>Tapirus</i> Genus of tapir

Tapirus is a genus of tapir which contains the living tapir species. The Malayan tapir is usually included in Tapirus as well, although some authorities have moved it into its own genus, Acrocodia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litopterna</span> Extinct order of hoofed mammals

Litopterna is an extinct order of South American native ungulates that lived from the Paleocene to the end of the Pleistocene-early Holocene around 62.5 million-12,000 years ago, and were also present in Antarctica during the Eocene. They represent the second most diverse group of South American ungulates after Notoungulata. It is divided into nine families, with Proterotheriidae and Macraucheniidae being the most diverse and last surviving families.

<i>Nannippus</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Nannippus is an extinct genus of three-toed horse endemic to North America during the Miocene through Pleistocene, about 13.3—1.8 million years ago (Mya), living around 11.5 million years. This ancient species of three-toed horse grew up to 3.5 feet and weighed between 165 pounds to 199 pounds, which was around the same size as a domestic sheep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant tapir</span> Extinct species of mammal

The giant tapir is an extinct species of tapir that lived in southern China, Vietnam and Laos, with reports suggesting it also lived in Taiwan, Java, and potentially Borneo. The species has been recorded from Middle and Late Pleistocene. There is only weak evidence for a Holocene survival. Tapirus augustus was larger than any living tapir, with an estimated weight of about 623 kilograms (1,373 lb). The species was also placed in its own genus of Megatapirus, however, it is now conventionally placed within Tapirus.

<i>Protapirus</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Protapirus is an extinct genus of tapir known from the Oligocene and Miocene of North America and Eurasia.

<i>Tapirus californicus</i> Extinct species of tapir

Tapirus californicus, the California tapir, is an extinct species of tapir that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene. It became extinct about 13,000 years ago.

<i>Tapirus merriami</i> Extinct species of tapir

Tapirus merriami, commonly called Merriam's tapir, is an extinct species of tapir which inhabited North America during the Pleistocene.

<i>Tapirus haysii</i> Extinct species of mammal

Tapirus haysii is an extinct species of tapir that inhabited North America during the early to middle Pleistocene Epoch (~2.5–1 Ma). These fossil remains of two juvenile T. haysii were collected in Hillsborough County, Florida on August 31, 1963. It was classified as the second largest North American tapir; the first being T. merriami.

Tapirus cristatellus is an extinct species of tapir from the Pleistocene of South America. Remains are known from Brazil, specifically the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia.

Tapirus greslebini is an extinct species of tapir that lived in South America during the Pleistocene.

Tapirus lundeliusi is an extinct species of tapir that lived in Florida in the early Pleistocene. It was similar in size and shape to the still-living mountain tapir, with an estimated weight of 203 kg

Tapirus mesopotamicus is an extinct species of tapir that lived in South America during the Pleistocene. It is considered a possible ancestor of all extant South American tapirs.

Tapirus oliverasi is likely an invalid extinct species of tapir from South America.

Tapirus rondoniensis is an extinct species of large sized tapir that lived in northwestern parts of Brazil during the Pleistocene. Fossils of the species were found in the Río Madeira Formation of Rondônia, after which the species is named.

<i>Trichechus hesperamazonicus</i> Extinct species of manatee

Trichechus hesperamazonicus, the western Amazonian manatee, is an extinct species of manatee that lived about 40 thousand years ago in the Madeira River, in the Brazilian state of Rondonia. It is known from this single locality, with possible occurrences in the Brazilian state of Acre.

References

  1. 1 2 "Fossil Tapir with Facts, Photos and Pictures of Fossil Teeth". Fossil-Treasures-of-Florida.com. Retrieved 2016-01-07.
  2. 1 2 Hulbert RC (2010). A new early Pleistocene tapir (Mammalia: Perissodactyla) from Florida, with a review of Blancan tapirs from the state. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 49, 67– 126.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Graham, Russell W.; Grady, Frederick; Ryan, Timothy M. (October 2019). "Juvenile Pleistocene tapir skull from Russells Reserve Cave, Bath County, Virginia: Implications for cold climate adaptations". Quaternary International. 530–531: 35–41. doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2018.06.021 .
  4. Maclaren, Jamie A; Hulbert, Richard C; Wallace, Steven C; Nauwelaerts, Sandra (2018-10-05). "A morphometric analysis of the forelimb in the genus Tapirus (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae) reveals influences of habitat, phylogeny and size through time and across geographical space". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 184 (2): 499–515. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zly019. ISSN   0024-4082.
  5. Van Linden, Lisa; Stoops, Kim; Dumbá, Larissa C. C. S.; Cozzuol, Mario A.; Maclaren, Jamie A. (March 2023). "Sagittal crest morphology decoupled from relative bite performance in Pleistocene tapirs (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae)". Integrative Zoology. 18 (2): 254–277. doi:10.1111/1749-4877.12627. hdl: 10067/1865710151162165141 . ISSN   1749-4877.
  6. Dumbá, Larissa Costa Coimbra Santos; Rodrigues, Flávio Henrique Guimarães; Maclaren, Jamie Alexander; Cozzuol, Mario Alberto (2022-04-22). "Dental occlusal surface and seed dispersal evolution in Tapirus (Mammalia: Perissodactyla)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 136 (1): 23–40. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blac013. ISSN   0024-4066.