Geometric morphometrics in postcranial bone elements of Late Pleistocene horses in Mexico: taxonomic and ecomorphological implications

The genus Equus is the last member of the Equidae family whose evolutionary history is about 55 million years. This horse is abundant in Mexican Pleistocene deposits. Elements of the distal extremities (third metacarpals and metatarsals, first and second phalanx of the third digit) of three horse sp...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Marín-Leyva, Alejandro Hiram, Alberdi, María Teresa, García-Zepeda, María Luisa, Ponce-Saavedra, Javier, Schaaf, Peter, Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquín, Bastir, Markus
Tipo de documento: artigo
Estado:Versão publicada
Data de publicação:2019
País:México
Recursos:UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO
Repositório:Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas
Idioma:espanhol
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.rmcg.geociencias.unam.mx:article/1044
Acesso em linha:http://rmcg.geociencias.unam.mx/index.php/rmcg/article/view/1044
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Descrição
Resumo:The genus Equus is the last member of the Equidae family whose evolutionary history is about 55 million years. This horse is abundant in Mexican Pleistocene deposits. Elements of the distal extremities (third metacarpals and metatarsals, first and second phalanx of the third digit) of three horse species (Equus cedralensis, E. conversidens and E. mexicanus) from three localities of Mexican Rancholabrean (0.21–0.16 a 0.095 Ma) were analyzed using geometric morphometric techniques. The aim is know whether the shape of each element studied differs between species of horses and also find some ecomorphological connection (form vs. substrate). The results prove the existence of three different groups related with the three species of horse registered in the localities studied; also, the existence of diagnostic elements for the differentiation of the three species of the late Pleistocene horse in Mexico. Based on the three diverse morphotypes is deduced that the species could live in different microhabitats and therefore be able to coexist in the same macrohabitat. Finally, the diversity of morphotypes suggests heterogeneous environments in the study localities.