''Platygonus'' ("flat head" in reference to the straight shape of the forehead) is an extinct genus of

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpar ...

peccaries of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Tayassuidae, endemic to

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and

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from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

through

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

epochs (10.3 million to 11,000 years ago), existing for about . ''P. compressus'' stood 2.5 feet (0.75 meters) tall. Platygonus leptorhinus

Description

Most ''Platygonus'' species were similar in size to modern peccaries especially giant peccary, at around in body length, and had long legs, allowing them to run well. They also had a pig-like snout and long tusks which were probably used to fend off predators.

Taxonomy

While long thought to be the sister-lineage to the Chacoan peccary based on morphological similarities, a 2017 ancient DNA study which recovered

mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...

from ''Platygonus'' found that all living peccaries are more closely related to each other than they are to ''Platygonus''. The estimated divergence between ''Platygonus'' and all living peccaries was placed in the Miocene, around 22 million years ago.

Ecology

Like modern peccaries, ''Platygonus'' is thought to have lived in herds. Their remains are particularly abundant in caves, suggesting that they regularly used them. A study on the population structure of a population of ''P. compressus'' from Bat Cave, Missouri found that they had a similar demographic stucture to modern peccaries, dominated by young adults, with a progressive attenuation of older adults due to predation and old-age, up to a maximum age of around 10 years. ''Platygonus'' is though to have consumed tough foliage like leaves and grass.

Distribution

During the Late Pleistocene, ''Platygonus'' was most common in Eastern North America, with records in the Great Plains and western North America being more sparse. In South America, ''Platygonus'' ranged from Colombia to Argentina.

Taxonomy

The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Pleistocene Flat-headed Peccary Skull

''Platygonus'' was named by John Lawrence LeConte in 1848 for fossils found in Pleistocene karst deposits in Illinois, which are now preserved in the Academy of National Sciences in Philadelphia. The following species of ''Platygonus'' have been described: * ''P. bicalcaratus'' (''nomen dubium'') * ''P. brachirostris'' * ''P. chapadmalensis'' * ''P. cinctus'' * '' P. compressus'' ( type) * ''P. kraglievichi'' * ''P. marplatensis'' * ''P. narinoensis'' * ''P. oregonensis'' * ''P. pearcei'' * ''P. pollenae'' * ''P. scagliae'' * ''P. setiger'' * ''P. striatus'' * ''P. texanus'' * ''P. vetus''

Distribution

Fossils of ''Platygonus'' have been found in: ;Miocene * Sheep Creek Formation,

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;Chapadmalalan *

Chapadmalal Formation Chapadmalal compound is an official retreat of the President of Argentina. It is located on the southern coast of Mar del Plata, in the Buenos Aires Province, and serves as a summer residence. It has a hotel complex nearby. The compound was buil ...

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;Hemphillian * Beecher Island,

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* Devil's Nest Airstrip, Ogallala Group,

* McKay and Rattlesnake Formations,

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* Miami Quarry,

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;Blancan * Gila Conglomerate and St. David Formation,

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* Palm Spring and

San Diego Formation The San Diego Formation is a geologic formation in southwestern San Diego County in southern California (United States), and northwestern Baja California (México). Geology It is a coastal transitional marine and non-marine pebble and cobble ...

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Tamiami Formation The Tamiami Formation is a Late Miocene to Pliocene geologic formation in the southwest Florida peninsula. Age Period: Neogene Epoch: Late Miocene to Pliocene Faunal stage: Clarendonian through Blancan ~13.06–2.588 mya, calculates to a pe ...

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* Glenns Ferry Formations,

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* Ballard, Rexroad and Crooked Creek Formations,

* Tequixquiac,

* Panaca Formation,

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* Camp Rice Formation,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

* Blanco and Love Formations,

* Ringold Formation,

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;Plio-Pleistocene * Cocha Verde, Taminango,

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Cocha Verde
at

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.org ;Pleistocene * Tarija Formation,

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

* Palm Spring and Turlock Lake Formations,

* Bermont and Wicomico Formations,

* Yarbrough Cave,

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* American Falls Lake Bed E Formation,

* Galena,

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( type locality)Galena
at

.org * Harrodsburg Crevice,

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* Turin Pit,

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* Kingsdown and Crooked Creek Formations,

* Welch Cave,

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Cumberland Bone Cave The Cumberland Bone Cave is a fossil-filled cave along the western slope of Wills Mountain on the outskirts of Cumberland, Maryland near Corriganville in Allegany County, Maryland. History and paleontology In 1912 workers excavating a cut for th ...

and Bushey Cavern,

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* Tacubaya Formation,

* Geddes Lake barrow pit,

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* Little Beaver Cave, Jacob's Cave, and Zoo Cave,

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* Sappa Formation,

* Dry Cave,

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* Holloman Gravel Pit,

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* Fossil Lake,

* Hanover Quarry and ''Platygonus vetus'' type locality,

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* Hot Springs Mammoth Site,

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* Laubach Cave,

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Tule ''Schoenoplectus acutus'' (syn. ''Scirpus acutus, Schoenoplectus lacustris, Scirpus lacustris'' subsp. ''acutus''), called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the p ...

and Shuler Formations,

* Early's Cave, Gardner's Cave, New Quarry Cave, Vickers Cave, Ruffners Cave,

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* Hamilton Cave, Trout Cave, Poorfarm Cave, Patton Cave,

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* Wellsch Valley,

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* Old Crow Flats,

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.org

References

Bibliography

* *

Description

Taxonomy

Ecology

Distribution

Taxonomy

Distribution

References

Bibliography

Further reading