Tapiridae (Perissodactyla) in the late Pleistocene of the Cuvieri Cave, eastern Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Lagoa Santa region presents an important karst complex that includes several caves with a large amount of osteological material dated from the Quaternary. Among the caves presenting a large volume of paleovertebrates in Lagoa Santa is the Cuvieri Cave, dated from the Pleistocene and Holocene. The Tapiridae family originates in the northern hemisphere and its remains are found in South America from the Pleistocene onwards. The present study describes three specimens of Tapirus sp., one subadult and two adults, found in Cuvieri Cave. The subadult specimen has a proportion similar to that of an adult Tapirus terrestris, but it is smaller in comparison to the two adults. The main difference observed in the Cuvieri specimens is that the appendicular bones are more robust and longer than those of T. terrestris, with the distal bones showing the greatest proportional difference. Regardless of the observed differences, the individuals might have probably lived in an environment quite similar to the present day one.