Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates : Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions

The caudal cranium and occipito-cervical region, although usually overlooked, are informative about the paleobiology of fossil mammals, allowing inquiry into vision and hearing abilities, as well as head and neck postures. Particularly for Pachyrukhinae, some related features remain unexplored. In t...

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Autores principales: Ercoli, Marcos Darío, Álvarez, Alicia, Youlatos, Dionisios, Moyano, S. Rocío, Candela, Adriana Magdalena
Formato: Articulo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2021
Materias:
Ciencias Naturales
Biología
Auditory cavities
Cranio-cervical anatomy
Functional morphology
Orbits
Pachyrukhinae
Paleobiology
Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/134068
Aporte de:
SEDICI (UNLP) de Universidad Nacional de La Plata
id I19-R120-10915-134068
record_format dspace
institution Universidad Nacional de La Plata
institution_str I-19
repository_str R-120
collection SEDICI (UNLP)
language Inglés
topic Ciencias Naturales
Biología
Auditory cavities
Cranio-cervical anatomy
Functional morphology
Orbits
Pachyrukhinae
Paleobiology
spellingShingle Ciencias Naturales
Biología
Auditory cavities
Cranio-cervical anatomy
Functional morphology
Orbits
Pachyrukhinae
Paleobiology
Ercoli, Marcos Darío
Álvarez, Alicia
Youlatos, Dionisios
Moyano, S. Rocío
Candela, Adriana Magdalena
Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates : Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions
topic_facet Ciencias Naturales
Biología
Auditory cavities
Cranio-cervical anatomy
Functional morphology
Orbits
Pachyrukhinae
Paleobiology
description The caudal cranium and occipito-cervical region, although usually overlooked, are informative about the paleobiology of fossil mammals, allowing inquiry into vision and hearing abilities, as well as head and neck postures. Particularly for Pachyrukhinae, some related features remain unexplored. In this contribution, 22 specimens of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus were analyzed in a mainly qualitative and comparative framework. Pachyrukhines are characterized by having large orbits and hearing cavities, moderate to short necks with generalized morphologies, and S-shape postures. These features allow rejecting some types of specialized digging habits, and support the preference of open or low-humidity environments. Paedotherium typicum is distinguished by the presence of laterally oriented eyes, marked vaulted cranium and predominant short extensor and stabilizing neck muscles, and cervico-occipital-hyoid configurations suitable for ventro-flexed resting posture. These features indicate accentuated frontation and panoramic-vision, upward head postures enhancing substrate perception, and the resistance of impacts during leaping-cursorial locomotion. Conversely, P. bonaerense, and to lesser degree Tremacyllus spp., show less frontation and probably adopted more horizontal head postures. More particularly, stronger ventral and lateral neck and head flexors and extrinsic arm musculature are reconstructed for P. bonaerense, compatible with generalist or scratch-digging habits. Its smaller auditory cavities and stronger ear musculature, compared to the contemporary P. typicum and especially Tremacyllus spp., would indicate larger ears and microhabitat segregation. The integrative analysis proposed here and in the accompanying contribution aims to shed light on convergences with extant models, paleobiology, niche partitioning, and external appearance of the latest rodent-like ungulates.
format Articulo
Articulo
author Ercoli, Marcos Darío
Álvarez, Alicia
Youlatos, Dionisios
Moyano, S. Rocío
Candela, Adriana Magdalena
author_facet Ercoli, Marcos Darío
Álvarez, Alicia
Youlatos, Dionisios
Moyano, S. Rocío
Candela, Adriana Magdalena
author_sort Ercoli, Marcos Darío
title Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates : Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions
title_short Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates : Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions
title_full Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates : Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions
title_fullStr Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates : Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions
title_full_unstemmed Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates : Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions
title_sort tracing the paleobiology of paedotherium and tremacyllus (pachyrukhinae, notoungulata), the latest sciuromorph south american native ungulates : part ii: orbital, auditory, and occipito-cervical regions
publishDate 2021
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/134068
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