Post by Infinity Blade on Jun 12, 2021 19:40:21 GMT 5
Protocyon spp.
Reconstruction of P. troglodytes with size compared to a human. Image source
Temporal range: Quaternary; Calabrian to Late Pleistocene (Ensenadan to Lujanian); ~1 Ma to no less than 10 ka[1][2]
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Olfactores
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Order: Therapsida
Clade: Eutheriodonta
Suborder: Cynodontia
Clade: Epicynodontia
Infraorder: Eucynodontia
Parvorder: Probainognathia
Superfamily: Chiniquodontoidea
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliaformes
Class: Mammalia
(unranked): Pegasoferae
(unranked): Zooamata
Clade: Holotheria
Superlegion: Trechnotheria
Legion: Cladotheria
Sublegion: Zatheria
Infralegion: Tribosphenida
Subclass: Theria
Clade: Eutheria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Subcohort: Exafroplacentalia
Magnorder: Boreoeutheria
Superorder: Laurasiatheria
(unranked): Ferae
(unranked): Carnivoramorpha
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Clade: Canoidea
Infraorder: Cynoidea
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Caninae
Tribe: Canini
Genus: †Protocyon
Species: †P. orcesi
†P. scaligorum[3]
†P. tarijensis
†P. troglodytes
Protocyon is an extinct genus of canid that lived in South America from the Ensenadan (early Pleistocene) to the Lujanian (late Pleistocene to early Holocene), appearing ~1 million years ago and surviving no later than 10,000 years ago.[1][2]
Description and paleobiology:
One specimen of P. troglodytes was estimated to be bigger than 16-25 kg, but smaller than 37 kg (the latter being the estimated weight of a large Theriodictis platensis specimen).[4]
Protocyon was a hypercarnivorous canid that likely hunted in packs and pursued its prey over long distances. It was theorized that, in the Sopas Formation, that Protocyon could have hunted equids, camelids, medium to large deer, and perhaps large rodents. Smaller rodents and juveniles of larger mammals (like Macrauchenia or Glyptotherium) may have been occasional prey.[5]
Bite marks on the bones of contemporaneous animals and isotope analyses support the consumption of at least some of these purported prey items. An isotope analysis, using the canine root of a specimen of P. troglodytes, revealed that this individual may have consumed equids (Equus neogeus and Hippidion principale), camelids (Lama sp.), proboscideans (Notiomastodon (=Stegomastodon) platensis), toxodonts (Toxodon), and ground sloths (Megatherium americanum). It is likely that P. troglodytes could prey on equids and camelids. Due to the large body size of Megatherium, Notiomastodon, and Toxodon, it is unlikely that adult individuals of these species were preyed upon, instead being eaten by Protocyon as carrion.[6]
Bite marks found on the bones of Eremotherium laurillardi and Smilodon populator may have been the result of scavenging by a juvenile individual of P. troglodytes (or alternatively, an adult Cerdocyon thous). Interestingly, bite marks have also been found on the bones of an adult individual of Glyptotherium. This particular individual of Glyptotherium showed ample evidence of disease on its bones, with three distinct types of arthritis being identified. As a result, this Glyptotherium would have been weakened by these maladies, making it more vulnerable to predation. Along with their large size, the bite marks have been assumed to be the result of predation by adult P. troglodytes.[7]
A recent isotope analysis looked at the remains of P. troglodytes from the Brazilian Intertropical Region. The results suggest P. troglodytes was a generalist carnivore, with 15 taxa (preferably weighing 11-53 kg) being potential prey. Contemporaneous carnivorans S. populator and Arctotherium wingei were found to be specialist carnivores and specialist herbivores/opportunistic scavengers, respectively. Additionally, P. troglodytes is suggested to have inhabited open savanna-like environments, while the other two carnivorans likely lived in arboreal savanna forests.[8]
References:
[1] Prevosti, Francisco Juan; Tonni, Eduardo Pedro; Bidegain, Juan Carlos; Stratigraphic range of the large canids (Carnivora, Canidae) in South America, and its relevance to quaternary biostratigraphy; Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd; Quaternary International; 210; 1-2; 12-2009; 76-81
[2] Prevosti, F. J., Zurita, A. E., & Carlini, A. A. (2005). Biostratigraphy, systematics, and paleoecology of Protocyon Giebel, 1855 (Carnivora, Canidae) in South America. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 20(1-2), 5-12.
[3] Prevosti, F. J. (2010). Phylogeny of the large extinct South American canids (Mammalia, Carnivora, Canidae) using a “total evidence” approach. Cladistics, 26(5), 456-481.
[4] Oliveira, É. V., Prevosti, F. J., & Pereira, J. C. (2005). Protocyon troglodytes (Lund) (Mammalia, Carnivora) in the Late Pleistocene of Rio Grande do Sul and their paleoecological significance.
[5] Prevosti, F. J., Ubilla, M., & Perea, D. (2009). Large extinct canids from the Pleistocene of Uruguay: systematic, biogeographic and paleoecological remarks/url]. Historical Biology, 21(1-2), 79-89.
[6] Prevosti, F. J., & Schubert, B. W. (2013). First taxon date and stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) for the large hypercarnivorous South American canid Protocyon troglodytes (Canidae, Carnivora). Quaternary International, 305, 67-73.
[7] de Araújo-Júnior, H. I., de Souza Barbosa, F. H., & da Silva, L. H. M. (2017). Overlapping paleoichnology, paleoecology and taphonomy: Analysis of tooth traces in a Late Pleistocene-early Holocene megafaunal assemblage of Brazil and description of a new ichnotaxon in hard substrate. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 468, 122-128.
[8] Dantas, M. A. T., Bernardes, C., Asevedo, L., Rabito Pansani, T., De Melo França, L., Santos De Aragão, W., ... & Ximenes, C. (2021). Isotopic palaeoecology (δ 13C) of three faunivores from Late Pleistocene of the Brazilian intertropical region. Historical Biology, 1-8.
Reconstruction of P. troglodytes with size compared to a human. Image source
Temporal range: Quaternary; Calabrian to Late Pleistocene (Ensenadan to Lujanian); ~1 Ma to no less than 10 ka[1][2]
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Olfactores
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Order: Therapsida
Clade: Eutheriodonta
Suborder: Cynodontia
Clade: Epicynodontia
Infraorder: Eucynodontia
Parvorder: Probainognathia
Superfamily: Chiniquodontoidea
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliaformes
Class: Mammalia
(unranked): Pegasoferae
(unranked): Zooamata
Clade: Holotheria
Superlegion: Trechnotheria
Legion: Cladotheria
Sublegion: Zatheria
Infralegion: Tribosphenida
Subclass: Theria
Clade: Eutheria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Subcohort: Exafroplacentalia
Magnorder: Boreoeutheria
Superorder: Laurasiatheria
(unranked): Ferae
(unranked): Carnivoramorpha
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Clade: Canoidea
Infraorder: Cynoidea
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Caninae
Tribe: Canini
Genus: †Protocyon
Species: †P. orcesi
†P. scaligorum[3]
†P. tarijensis
†P. troglodytes
Protocyon is an extinct genus of canid that lived in South America from the Ensenadan (early Pleistocene) to the Lujanian (late Pleistocene to early Holocene), appearing ~1 million years ago and surviving no later than 10,000 years ago.[1][2]
Description and paleobiology:
One specimen of P. troglodytes was estimated to be bigger than 16-25 kg, but smaller than 37 kg (the latter being the estimated weight of a large Theriodictis platensis specimen).[4]
Protocyon was a hypercarnivorous canid that likely hunted in packs and pursued its prey over long distances. It was theorized that, in the Sopas Formation, that Protocyon could have hunted equids, camelids, medium to large deer, and perhaps large rodents. Smaller rodents and juveniles of larger mammals (like Macrauchenia or Glyptotherium) may have been occasional prey.[5]
Bite marks on the bones of contemporaneous animals and isotope analyses support the consumption of at least some of these purported prey items. An isotope analysis, using the canine root of a specimen of P. troglodytes, revealed that this individual may have consumed equids (Equus neogeus and Hippidion principale), camelids (Lama sp.), proboscideans (Notiomastodon (=Stegomastodon) platensis), toxodonts (Toxodon), and ground sloths (Megatherium americanum). It is likely that P. troglodytes could prey on equids and camelids. Due to the large body size of Megatherium, Notiomastodon, and Toxodon, it is unlikely that adult individuals of these species were preyed upon, instead being eaten by Protocyon as carrion.[6]
Bite marks found on the bones of Eremotherium laurillardi and Smilodon populator may have been the result of scavenging by a juvenile individual of P. troglodytes (or alternatively, an adult Cerdocyon thous). Interestingly, bite marks have also been found on the bones of an adult individual of Glyptotherium. This particular individual of Glyptotherium showed ample evidence of disease on its bones, with three distinct types of arthritis being identified. As a result, this Glyptotherium would have been weakened by these maladies, making it more vulnerable to predation. Along with their large size, the bite marks have been assumed to be the result of predation by adult P. troglodytes.[7]
A recent isotope analysis looked at the remains of P. troglodytes from the Brazilian Intertropical Region. The results suggest P. troglodytes was a generalist carnivore, with 15 taxa (preferably weighing 11-53 kg) being potential prey. Contemporaneous carnivorans S. populator and Arctotherium wingei were found to be specialist carnivores and specialist herbivores/opportunistic scavengers, respectively. Additionally, P. troglodytes is suggested to have inhabited open savanna-like environments, while the other two carnivorans likely lived in arboreal savanna forests.[8]
References:
[1] Prevosti, Francisco Juan; Tonni, Eduardo Pedro; Bidegain, Juan Carlos; Stratigraphic range of the large canids (Carnivora, Canidae) in South America, and its relevance to quaternary biostratigraphy; Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd; Quaternary International; 210; 1-2; 12-2009; 76-81
[2] Prevosti, F. J., Zurita, A. E., & Carlini, A. A. (2005). Biostratigraphy, systematics, and paleoecology of Protocyon Giebel, 1855 (Carnivora, Canidae) in South America. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 20(1-2), 5-12.
[3] Prevosti, F. J. (2010). Phylogeny of the large extinct South American canids (Mammalia, Carnivora, Canidae) using a “total evidence” approach. Cladistics, 26(5), 456-481.
[4] Oliveira, É. V., Prevosti, F. J., & Pereira, J. C. (2005). Protocyon troglodytes (Lund) (Mammalia, Carnivora) in the Late Pleistocene of Rio Grande do Sul and their paleoecological significance.
[5] Prevosti, F. J., Ubilla, M., & Perea, D. (2009). Large extinct canids from the Pleistocene of Uruguay: systematic, biogeographic and paleoecological remarks/url]. Historical Biology, 21(1-2), 79-89.
[6] Prevosti, F. J., & Schubert, B. W. (2013). First taxon date and stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) for the large hypercarnivorous South American canid Protocyon troglodytes (Canidae, Carnivora). Quaternary International, 305, 67-73.
[7] de Araújo-Júnior, H. I., de Souza Barbosa, F. H., & da Silva, L. H. M. (2017). Overlapping paleoichnology, paleoecology and taphonomy: Analysis of tooth traces in a Late Pleistocene-early Holocene megafaunal assemblage of Brazil and description of a new ichnotaxon in hard substrate. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 468, 122-128.
[8] Dantas, M. A. T., Bernardes, C., Asevedo, L., Rabito Pansani, T., De Melo França, L., Santos De Aragão, W., ... & Ximenes, C. (2021). Isotopic palaeoecology (δ 13C) of three faunivores from Late Pleistocene of the Brazilian intertropical region. Historical Biology, 1-8.
