Order results

Result details

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 5388 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Teeth Enamel Ultrastructural Analysis of Selected Equidae Taxa

Vitalii Demeshkant

Michał Biegalski

and

Leonid Rekovets

Diversity 2023, 15(11), 1141; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15111141 - 14 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1300

Abstract

This paper presents historical and evolutionary insights into the “tarpan” group of small horses by examining molar tooth enamel ultrastructure. Mathematical methodologies were applied to enhance the analysis. Tooth enamel from species such as Equus gmelini (tarpan), E. latipes, and E. hydruntinus from Pleistocene Ukrainian localities, E. przewalskii from the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine, and E. caballus form sylvaticus (Polish konik) from Roztocze National Park, Poland, underwent scanning microscope examination. Measurements of enamel structures, including prisms (PE) and interprismatic matrix (IPM), were conducted, with the K-index used as their ratio, categorized by enamel type (I, II, III). The findings confirmed that the crystal structures of enamel in these horse groups vary based on genus evolution, diet, and environmental conditions, shaping the enamel’s morphological features. Through analysis, clusters were identified, allowing for potential reconstructions of relationships among study groups. The results revealed distinct differences between species, enabling their classification within an established phenogram. Two primary clusters emerged: one consisting of extinct small horse forms from diverse localities and another grouping modern forms. Notably, the Late Pleistocene European species E. latipes showed close affinities to the latter cluster. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Evolution of Mammals in Europe)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 7658 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stratigraphic and Paleoecological Significance of the Early/Middle Pleistocene Vertebrate Fauna of the Süttő 21 Site

and

Diversity 2023, 15(6), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060736 - 02 Jun 2023

Viewed by 608

Abstract

The Süttő 21 site is a fissure fill of the freshwater limestone of the Gazda quarry in Süttő. The material was collected between 2017 and 2019, and the results are summarised in this article, with a special focus on the small vertebrate fauna of the site and its stratigraphic and paleoecological significance. The fissure fill can be placed around the Early/Middle Pleistocene boundary (ca. 1.1 and 0.77 Ma). The paleoecological analysis of the herpeto- and mammal fauna of the sequence indicates the proximity of a permanent water body. The lower part of the sequence is dominated by open habitat indicator taxa indicating a cool, dry climate. Towards the upper part of the sequence, the climate remained cool, but became wetter, and the vegetation gradually changed to forest-steppe/open forest. The fauna of the Süttő 21 site can be compared with the material of sites that are of a similar age, thus revealing taxonomic and paleoecological differences between different areas of the country. While a warm, dry climate and open vegetation can be reconstructed in the Villány Hills around the Early/Middle Pleistocene boundary, the Northern Hungarian areas had a cooler, wetter climate and a slightly more closed (sparse forest, forest-steppe) vegetation during this period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Evolution of Mammals in Europe)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 25644 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Exceptional Presence of Megaloceros giganteus in North-Eastern Iberia and Its Palaeoecological Implications: The Case of Teixoneres Cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain)

and

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020299 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3070

Abstract

In this article we announce the discovery of the first remains of Megaloceros giganteus found in Catalonia (north-eastern Iberia) from the Late Pleistocene: a fragment of maxillary. Dated between 35,000 and 37,000 cal BP, it is also among the youngest occurrence of this taxon in the Iberian Peninsula, while its last known occurrence is dated to the Neolithic period. Through a comparison with the giant deer of the northern Pyrenees, we analyzed the herbivore guilds in which this taxon was associated to understand the context in which it was able to enter the Iberian Peninsula. By comparing its diet with those of specimens from Northern Europe, we detail the ecological adaptations of this taxon in this new environment. We suggest that Megaloceros accompanied the migrations of cold-adapted species by taking advantage of the opening of corridors on both sides of the Pyrenees during the coldest periods of the Late Pleistocene. The diet of the Iberian individuals, which is oriented towards abrasive plants, suggests an adaptation to a different ecological niche than that found in Northern European individuals. The northern Iberian Peninsula may have been an extreme in the geographical expansion of M. giganteus. More specimens will be needed in the future to establish the variability of the southern Megaloceros populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Evolution of Mammals in Europe)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Ecology and Evolution of Mammals in Europe"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (3 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI