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Cranial Geometric Morphometric Analysis of the Genus Tapirus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla)

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Abstract

Tapirs are perissodactyl ungulates of the genus Tapirus. The family Tapiridae was more diverse in the past. Genus Tapirus include five living species: T. indicus, T. pinchaque, T. bairdii, T. terrestris, and T. kabomani. Despite all the information available about tapirs, evolutionary relationships among species within the genus are still uncertain. Recent works suggest that T. terrestris may be a species complex. A better understanding of the evolutionary history of this clade is essential to better support conservation strategies for the species of this genus, which are keys in the dynamics of tropical forests in Southeast Asia and Central and South America. Geometric morphometry has been proved to be a useful tool for the study of morphological evolution in mammals, but studies involving cranial geometric morphometry of tapiroids have never been done. We hereby propose landmarks for the study of tapir cranial shape through 2D geometric morphometric technique, including 20 in lateral cranial view (n = 71), 14 in dorsal cranial view (n = 51), and 21 in ventral cranial view (n = 44), followed by PCA multivariate statistical analysis that ordinated specimens from each of the three data groups along the major axis of shape variation. Lateral and dorsal view landmarks proved to be the most diagnostic for the species studied, providing interesting insights and trends on tapiroid cranial evolution. Ventrally, the species analyzed do not differentiate significantly. In this paper, we add new information to the current cranial morphometric database of tapirs, which can help elucidate questions about their evolutionary history.

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Acknowledgements

This work received grants from FAPEMIG and CAPES from Brazil. We thank C. Cartelle (Museu de Ciências Naturais PUC Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil), L. F. B. Flamarion (Coleção de Mastozoologia do Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and F. A. Perini (Coleção de Mastozoologia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) for the access to tapir collections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PPG – Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia/Departamento de Zoologia – Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Larissa C. C. S. Dumbá & Rodrigo Parisi Dutra

  2. Instituto de Engenharia e Tecnologia, Centro Universitário de Belo Horizonte, Avenida Professor Mário Werneck 1685, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Rodrigo Parisi Dutra

  3. Departamento de Zoologia – Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Mario A. Cozzuol

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  1. Larissa C. C. S. Dumbá
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  2. Rodrigo Parisi Dutra
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  3. Mario A. Cozzuol
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Correspondence to Larissa C. C. S. Dumbá.

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Dumbá, L.C.C.S., Parisi Dutra, R. & Cozzuol, M.A. Cranial Geometric Morphometric Analysis of the Genus Tapirus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla). J Mammal Evol 26, 545–555 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9432-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9432-2

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