New Fossil Discoveries and the History of Tapirus

Matthew Colbert

Short Comunication

Vol. 16 No. 22 (2007)

New Fossil Discoveries and the History of Tapirus

Matthew Colbert

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Submitted: 4 July 2025
Published: 2007-12-01

Abstract

Fossil tapirs tell a fascinating tale of intercontinental dispersal, extinction, and evolution. While their current geographic range is confined to Southeast Asia, South America, and Central America, fossil tapirs prove that as recently as a few thousand years ago they ranged across North America, Europe, and Asia. Fossil evidence also suggests that tapirs were not present in South America until at most a few million years ago. But how did this geographic pattern emerge? And what is the relationship of these ancient tapirs to living species? Recent discoveries of fossil tapirs in South and North America, and an improved understanding of their evolutionary relationships, have started to shed some light on these questions. Here I briefly review some of these new discoveries of fossil Tapirus, and discuss some of the outstanding issues related to the evolution of Tapirus.

References

Ashley, M.V., J.E. Norman, and L. Stross. 1996. Phylogenetic analysis of perissodactylan Family Tapiridae using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COII) sequences. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 3:315-325.
Colbert, M.W. 2005. The facial skeleton of the Early Oligocene Colodon (Perissodactyla, Tapiroidea). Palaeontologia Electronica 8(1)12A:1–27. 12A; http://palaeo-electronica.org/2005_1/colbert12/issue1_05.html
Ferrero, B.S., and J.I. Noriega. 2007. A new Upper Pleistocene tapir from Argentina: Remarks on the phylogenetics and diversification of neotropical Tapiridae. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27: 504-511.
Holanda, E.C., and M.A. Cozzuol. 2006. New records of Tapirus from the Late Pleistocene of southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. Revista Brasiliera Paleontologia 9: 193-2006.
Hulbert, R.C., Jr. 2005. Late Miocene Tapirus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from Florida, with description of a new species, Tapirus webbi. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 45: 465-494.
Hulbert R.C., Jr. and S.C. Wallace. 2005. Phylogenetic analysis of Late Cenozoic Tapirus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(3, Supplement):72A.

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Keywords

Fossil record
Evolutionary history

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Colbert, M. (2007). New Fossil Discoveries and the History of Tapirus. Tapir Conservation, 16(22), 12-14. http://www.tapirconservation.org/index.php/tc/article/view/105

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[1] Ashley, M.V., J.E. Norman, and L. Stross. 1996. Phylogenetic analysis of perissodactylan Family Tapiridae using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COII) sequences. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 3:315-325.

[2] Colbert, M.W. 2005. The facial skeleton of the Early Oligocene Colodon (Perissodactyla, Tapiroidea). Palaeontologia Electronica 8(1)12A:1–27. 12A; http://palaeo-electronica.org/2005_1/colbert12/issue1_05.html

[3] Ferrero, B.S., and J.I. Noriega. 2007. A new Upper Pleistocene tapir from Argentina: Remarks on the phylogenetics and diversification of neotropical Tapiridae. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27: 504-511.

[4] Holanda, E.C., and M.A. Cozzuol. 2006. New records of Tapirus from the Late Pleistocene of southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. Revista Brasiliera Paleontologia 9: 193-2006.

[5] Hulbert, R.C., Jr. 2005. Late Miocene Tapirus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from Florida, with description of a new species, Tapirus webbi. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 45: 465-494.

[6] Hulbert R.C., Jr. and S.C. Wallace. 2005. Phylogenetic analysis of Late Cenozoic Tapirus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(3, Supplement):72A.