ON THE CRANIAL ANATOMY OF MORENELAPHUS (CARETTE 1922) (MAMMALIA, CERVIDAE) AND ITS RELATIVES: STUDY OF THE ANATOMY OF THE BRASICRANIUM. SOBRE LA ANATOMÍA CRANEANA DE MORENELAPHUS CARETTE, 1922 (MAMMALIA, CERVIDAE) Y FORMAS RELACIONADAS: DESCRIPCIÓN Y COMPARACIÓN MORFOLÓGICA DEL ÁREA DEL BASICRÁNEO

VEZZOSI, RAÚL IGNACIO; CHIMENTO, NICOLÁS ROBERTO

MASTOZOOLOGí­A NEOTROPICAL

UNIDAD DE ZOOLOGÍA Y ECOLOGÍA ANIMAL, INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS ZONAS ARIDAS, CRICYT, CONICET

Año: 2021 vol. 28

0327-9383

On the cranial anatomy of Morenelaphus (Carette 1922) (Mammalia, Cervidae) and its relatives: Study of the anatomy of the brasicranium. Among South American fossil deer, Morenelaphus is the most conspicuous genus from the Pleistocene beds of Argentina. However, its fossil record in South America is almost known only by antlers, the anatomy of the skull being poorly understood. In order to know the cranial morphologies in fossil and living forms useful to elucidate the systematic taxonomy of some South American deers, we describe and analyze the main anatomical features of the basicranium in Morenelaphus compared with fossil and living Cervinae Cervini (Goldfuss 1820), Capreolinae Rangiferini (Brookes 1828) and Odocoileini (Pocock 1923) forms from America. Several morphologies reported here are observed only in Morenelaphus. However other features are shared with some South American Cervini (Cervus), Odocoileini (Blastocerus, Odocoileus) and also with Rangiferini (Rangifer). Given the taxonomic complexity of South American fossil Cervidae, new records and future comparisons among fossil and living deer (e.g., Alces alces) using more anatomical structures from the braincase, dentition and postcranial bones, will clarify even more the systematic of the group.