<i>Selenogonus narinoensis</i> Stirton, 1947 (Tayassuidae, Cetartiodactyla, Mammalia): taxonomic status and paleobiogeographic implications
<p>The species <i>Selenogonus</i> <i>narinoensis</i> was described by Stirton (1947) based on a single specimen which comes from sediments cropping out in the Cocha Verde locality, Nariño Department (Colombia), tentatively referred to the late Pliocene–Pleistocene (MGN ...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Fossil Record |
| Online Access: | https://fr.copernicus.org/articles/24/65/2021/fr-24-65-2021.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>The species <i>Selenogonus</i> <i>narinoensis</i> was described by Stirton (1947) based on a single
specimen which comes from sediments cropping out in the Cocha Verde
locality, Nariño Department (Colombia), tentatively referred to the late
Pliocene–Pleistocene (MGN 931; IGM p002118, Museo Geológico Nacional,
Servicio Geológico Colombiano, Bogotá). However, morphological
studies and comparative morphometric observations of the specimen suggest
that (1) no diagnostic character supports the validity of the species
<i>Selenogonus narinoensis </i> (here considered species inquirenda); (2) a combination of features (e.g., the mandibular condyle
located behind the posterior edge of the vertical mandibular ramus, the
angular process which projects laterally outwards, a bunolophodont crown
morphology, a mesodont crown height, and a simple crown morphology of the
third lobe of m3) indicates it belongs to the genus <i>Platygonus</i>; (3) this specimen
corresponds to one of the largest South American peccaries; (4) taking into
account certain anatomical characters as well as its morphometric range,
this specimen is assigned to <i>Platygonus</i> cf. <i>marplatensis</i>. Even though the stratigraphic provenance of
the specimen is still doubtful, it can be proposed that (1) it could be one
of the most ancient records of tayassuids in South America, as would be
expected given its geographical position, and (2) considering the new taxonomic
proposal, this specimen represents the first record of <i>Platygonus</i> cf. <i>marplatensis</i> in Colombia and
represents one of the northernmost South American records of the genus. This
new interpretation would be of great relevance in the Great American Biotic
Interchange due to its strategic geographical proximity to the Isthmus of Panama.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 2193-0066 2193-0074 |