The Evolution of Tapirs

Tapirs are some of the strangest mammals alive today. Belonging to the same order as rhinos and horses, they've had a long history of evolution dating back to the beginning of the Cenozoic. Today we'll go over the evolution of the tapirs, including the family Tapiridae and its ancestors, as well as some fascinating Pleistocene species.

(0:00) - Introduction
(1:42) - The Ancestors of Tapirs
(3:15) - Tapirus
(5:33) - Modern Tapirs

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References:

Maclaren, J. A., Hulbert, R. C., Jr., Wallace, S. C., & Nauwelaerts, S. (2018). A morphometric analysis of the forelimb in the genus Tapirus (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae) reveals influences of habitat, phylogeny and size through time and across geographical space. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 184(2), 499–515. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zl...

Cerdeño, E., & Vera, B. (2013). A taxonomic and biogeographic review of Pseudomys (Rodentia, Cricetidae) from the Miocene of South America. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 58(2), 257–280. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.2012.0041

Thumbnail Art by Julius Julius Csotonyi