The Pleistocene Gomphotheres (Proboscidea) from South America: Diversity, Habitats and Feeding Ecology

Gomphotheres were recorded in South America from the early-middle Pleistocene (Ensenadan Land-mammal Age) to the late Pleistocene (Lujanian Land-mammal Age). They arrived in South America during the “Great American Biotic Interchange”. Only two genera are recognised: Cuvieronius, which has only one...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Prado, José Luis, Alberdi, María Teresa, Azanza, Beatriz, Sánchez Chillón, Begoña, Frassinetti, D.
Tipo de documento: artigo
Data de publicação:2001
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositório:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/32254
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/32254
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:Gomphotheres
Early-middle Pleistocene
Cuvieronius hyodon
Stegomastodon
Descrição
Resumo:Gomphotheres were recorded in South America from the early-middle Pleistocene (Ensenadan Land-mammal Age) to the late Pleistocene (Lujanian Land-mammal Age). They arrived in South America during the “Great American Biotic Interchange”. Only two genera are recognised: Cuvieronius, which has only one species, Cuvieronius hyodon; and Stegomastodon, which has two species, Stegomastodon waringi and Stegomastodon platensis. The small Cuvieronius utilised the Andean corridor and it was almost exclusively mixed-feeder. The large Stegomastodon dispersed through the east route and the coastal area, where Stegomastodon waringi shows an adaptive trend from mixed-feeder to grazer, and Stegomastodon platensis shows a trend from mixed to browser feeding. Cuvieronius seems to have been adapted to a temperate-cold climate conditions, while Stegomastodon seems to have predominated in lower latitudes, and was better adapted to warm or temperate climatic conditions.