Ruminant mesowear reveals consistently browse-dominated diets throughout the early and middle Miocene of eastern Africa
Date
2021-04-01
Authors
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Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
The ecological preferences of ruminant artiodactyls are commonly used to reconstruct the
paleoenvironment of Neogene fossil localities throughout Africa. However, comparatively little
research has focused on the ecology of ruminant artiodactyls from the Miocene of Africa. Here,
we contribute new molar mesowear and hypsodonty data for the ruminant artiodactyls from the
early and middle Miocene of Kenya and Uganda. Macroscopic dental characteristics of 608
tragulids, stem pecorans, giraffoids, and bovids dated to between 20 and 13.7 Ma were analyzed.
Our hypsodonty results reveal that, whereas tragulids remain brachydont throughout the early
and middle Miocene, pecoran ruminants experience an increase in hypsodonty due to the
appearance of high-crowned bovids and climacoceratids that migrate into eastern Africa in the
middle Miocene. Results from dental mesowear analysis suggest that all tragulids and pecorans
were likely browsers, with only one taxon showing mesowear values that overlap with both
browsers and mixed feeders in both the upper and lower molars (Canthumeryx sirtensis). None
of the taxa analyzed had mesowear scores indicative of a grazing diet. Surprisingly, middle
Miocene bovids and climacoceratids, despite possessing gross tooth morphologies adapted to
abrasive diets, were largely utilizing a browsing diet. Although the early and middle Miocene
habitats of eastern Africa were likely very heterogenous, none of the ruminant artiodactyls
present in these habitats is interpreted as having incorporated grasses into their diet in significant
quantities.
Description
Keywords
Walangania, Dorcatherium, Canthumeryx, hypsodonty, Fort Ternan, Maboko
Citation
Hall, A. S., & Cote, S. (2021). Ruminant mesowear reveals consistently browse-dominated diets throughout the early and middle Miocene of eastern Africa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 567, 110253-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110253