Pleistocene peccary, Platygonus compressus Le Conte, from Yukon Territory, Canada

Abstract

A fragmented radius of a late Pleistocene peccary, Platygonus compressus Le Conte, has been recovered near Old Crow, Yukon Territory, Canada. The known northern limit of the species is thus extended approximately 3000 km, from the northeastern United States to north of the Arctic Circle in Pleistocene Beringia, and confirms the cold tolerance of the species. The small size of the specimen supports a theory that small size in P. compressus is correlated with periglacial environment. Although the age of the specimen is uncertain, a mid-Wisconsin age is inferred on the basis of availability of a route of dispersal to Beringia and palaeoecological evidence which suggest a largely treeless tundra dominated by sedges and grasses, but with a rich herb component.