INVESTIGADORES
CARLINI Alfredo Armando
artículos
Título:
Interatheriidae (Typotheria; Notoungulata), body size and paleoecology characterization.
Autor/es:
SCARANO A.; CARLINI A.A.; ILLIUS W.
Revista:
MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY
Editorial:
ELSEVIER GMBH
Referencias:
Año: 2011 vol. 76 p. 109 - 114
ISSN:
1616-5047
Resumen:
Size has a major influence on animals adaptation to its environment and is central to paleobiological
characterization of fossil mammals. We present new models of body mass estimation for the Interatheriidae
(Notoungulata, Typotheria). This small herbivorous mammals extends from the late Paleocene to
the late Miocene and they are very well represented in the paleontological record of southern South
America during a geological time lapse that witnessed extremely important events, at both climatic and
biotic levels. The importance of the group as paleoecological indicators for a great part of the Cenozoic is
emphasized by their long biochron and abundance in the fossil record. In this context, estimation of the
body mass becomes crucial to reconstruct and infer ecologicalenvironmental structure for a given time
period. The results of the calculation of body masses from these new equations shows overall narrower
range, smaller deviations, lower de-transformation correction and lower prediction error than previous
equations used for body mass estimation in herbivores ungulates, establishing the maximum body
mass for the Interatheriidae in 8.3 kg. These new body masses were utilized for characterization of the
nutritional ecology of Protypotherium australe (early Miocene), suggesting browser habits but it does not
exclude grass from been part of the diet.