1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910253998303321

Autore

Prado José Luis

Titolo

Fossil Horses of South America : Phylogeny, Systemics and Ecology / / by José Luis Prado, María Teresa Alberdi

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Springer, , 2017

ISBN

3-319-55877-3

Edizione

[1st ed. 2017.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (X, 150 p. 44 illus., 23 illus. in color.)

Collana

The Latin American Studies Book Series, , 2366-3421

Disciplina

569.72

Soggetti

Paleontology 

Geobiology

Animal ecology

Paleontology

Biogeosciences

Animal Ecology

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction -- Taxonomy nomenclature -- Collections around the word -- Systematic and phylogeny -- Iostratigraphy and biogeography -- Ancient feeding ecology and niche differentiation of Pleistocene horses -- Horses and megafauna extinction.

Sommario/riassunto

This book provides an update on the phylogeny, systematics and ecology of horses in South America based on data provided over the past three decades. The contemporary South American mammalian communities were shaped by the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama and by the profound climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene. Horses were a conspicuous group of immigrant mammals from North America that arrived in South America during the Pleistocene. This group is represented by 2 genera, Hippidion and Equus, which include small species (Hippidion devillei, H. saldiasi, E. andium and E. insulatus) and large forms (Equus neogeus and H. principale). Both groups arrived in South America via 2 different routes. One model designed to explain this migration indicates that the small forms used the Andes corridor, while larger horses used the eastern route and arrived through some



coastal areas. Molecular dating (ancient DNA) suggests that the South American horses separated from the North American taxa (caballines and the New World stilt-legged horse) after 3.6 - 3.2 Ma, consistent with the final formation of the Panamanian Isthmus. Recent studies of stable isotopes in these horses indicate an extensive range of 13C values cover closed woodlands to C4 grasslands. This plasticity agrees with the hypothesis that generalist species and open biome specialist species from North America indicate a positive migration through South America.