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

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank R. Bárquez, M. Díaz (CML), L. Chornogubsky, M. D. Ezcurra, P. Teta, G. Cassini, S. Lucero (MACN), M. Reguero (MLP), B. Patterson, W. Simpson (FMNH), N. Solís (IDGYM), M. Taglioretti, D. Romero (MMP), and P. Ortíz (PVL) for granting access to specimens under their care. To N. Martino (MMP) and D. García López (PVL) for help during collection visits. We are very grateful to two anonymous reviewers, and the Editor-in-Chief J. Wible for their valuable comments and corrections that greatly improved this work. We thank S. Rosas (INECOA) for help with graphical editions, and to M. M. Morales and A. Elissamburu for access to specialized literature. To M. Reguero, M. Taglioretti, and M.I. Zamar for their help during the anatomical studies. A.A. thanks CONICET and Fulbright Commission, and M.D.E. acknowledges IOM, for financial support for visiting the FMNH collections. This work is a contribution to the financed project 11/N865 (UNLP), PICT-2018-01237 (ANPCyT) and INECOA-PUE 2017 22920170100027CO (CONICET).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy – CONICET, Av. Bolivia 1239, 4600, San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina

    Marcos D. Ercoli, Alicia Álvarez & S. Rocío Moyano

  2. Instituto de Geología y Minería, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Av. Bolivia 1661, 4600, San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina

    Marcos D. Ercoli & Alicia Álvarez

  3. Department of Zoology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Biology, GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dionisios Youlatos

  4. Centro de Estudios Territoriales Ambientales y Sociales (CETAS), Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Alberdi 47, 4600, San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina

    S. Rocío Moyano

  5. CONICET, División de Paleontología de Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Adriana M. Candela

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Contributions

MDE conceived the study; MDE and AA acquired all the images used and made the anatomical descriptions; MDE and AA wrote the manuscript. MDE and SRM built the figs. DY and AMC revised it critically. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Marcos D. Ercoli.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

Representatives of studied pachyrukhine taxa. Paedotherium bonaerense MACN Pv 7253 (a-c), P. typicum PVL 3386 (d-f), Tremacyllus MACN Pv 2434 (g-i), P. minor MLP 29-IX-1-116 (j), and P. borrelloi MLP 57-X-10-21(k). Crania are illustrated in ventral (a, d, g), dorsal (b, e, h), and lateral (c, f, i, j, k) views. Scale bars = 10 mm (PDF 956 kb)

ESM 2

Three different views of the orbital structures of pachyrukhines, illustrated on Paedotherium bonaerense (MACN A 1251–52). (PDF 1223 kb)

Appendix 1. List of analyzed fossil and extant specimens. Preserved main regions are indicated in the case of fossil specimens: C = cranium, V = cervical vertebrae. All extant specimens and indicated fossil ones (ft) were used to calculate facial tilting

Appendix 1. List of analyzed fossil and extant specimens. Preserved main regions are indicated in the case of fossil specimens: C = cranium, V = cervical vertebrae. All extant specimens and indicated fossil ones (ft) were used to calculate facial tilting

Fossil specimens

Paedotherium bonaerense

MACN A 1251-52 (C, V, ft), MACN A 7214 (C, ft), MACN Pv 7520 (V), MACN Pv 18098-100 (C, ft); MLP 99-X-2-1 (C, V, ft); IDGYM s/n (C); MMP 158-S (C, V), 1655-M (C, ft); Cerdeño and Bond (1998) (C)

P. typicum

MACN Pv 6436 (C, V); MLP 12-1782 (C), MLP 52-IX-28-14 (C, ft); MMP 698-S (C, V), MMP 1008-M (C, V, ft), PVL 3386 (C), Kraglievich (1926) (C, V), Cerdeño and Bond (1998) (C)

P. minor

MLP 29-IX-2-20 (C)

P. cf. P. minor

MLP 55-IV-28-82 (C)

Tremacyllus spp.

FMNH P 14456 (C, V, ft), FMNH P 14465 (C, ft); MACN Pv 2434 (C, V, ft), MACN Pv 2913 (C, ft), MACN Pv 8157 (C, V, ft), MLP 95-III-31-15 (C)

Extant specimens

Cavia aperea

MACN Ma 27.7, MMP ND 83

Chinchilla chinchilla

MACN Ma 45.11, MACN Ma 16267

Ctenomys frater

CML 7235, MACN Ma 27.122

Cynomys ludovicianus

FMNH 14964, FMNH 58999

Dolichotis salinicola

FMNH 48019, MACN Ma 17366

Heterohyrax brucei

FMNH 18842, FMNH 104600

Lepus capensis

FMNH 42407; MACN Ma 26084

Ratufa affinis

FMNH 68746, FMNH 68747

Tragulus kanchil

FMNH 68768, FMNH 68778

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Ercoli, M.D., Álvarez, A., Youlatos, D. et al. Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates – Part II: Orbital, Auditory, and Occipito-Cervical Regions. J Mammal Evol 28, 411–433 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-020-09518-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-020-09518-5

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