2022/11/06 by Roman Croitor · 2 citations
Environmental Science · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Ecology and biodiversity studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.3390/earth3040066
openalex publication_date 2022/11/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
The article describes the paleobiogeographic history of the modern subfamilies so-called “crown deer” of the family Cervidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) in the world from the late Miocene to the late Pleistocene. The study overviews the taxonomic diversity and evolutionary radiation of Cervidae from all zoogeographic realms where this systematic group is present in the paleontological record. The evolutionary diversification of the fossil Cervidae is based on the estimations of species body masses that are regarded here as a proxy of occupied ecological niches. The study reveals two important evolutionary radiations of Cervidae during the late Miocene of Eurasia that gave the origin of the modern subfamilies Cervinae and Capreolinae. The evolutionary radiation of Capreolinae during the Pleistocene in South America shows a range of diversity comparable to the late Miocene radiations of Old World deer and provides multiple examples of evolutionary convergences with Eurasian Pleistocene cervids. The article discusses factors that shaped the modern biogeographic distribution of representatives of the subfamilies Cervinae and Capreolinae.