PCI Paleontology

149

Title

Spatio-temporal diversity of dietary preferences and stress sensibilities of early and middle Miocene Rhinocerotidae from Eurasia: impact of climate changesuse asterix (*) to get italics

Authors

Manon Hullot, Gildas Merceron, Pierre-Olivier AntoinePlease use the format "First name initials family name" as in "Marie S. Curie, Niels H. D. Bohr, Albert Einstein, John R. R. Tolkien, Donna T. Strickland"

Year

2022

Picture

Abstract

<p>Major climatic and ecological changes are documented in terrestrial ecosystems during the Miocene epoch. The Rhinocerotidae are a very interesting clade to investigate the impact of these changes on ecology, as they are abundant and diverse in the fossil record throughout the Miocene. Here, we explored the spatio-temporal evolution of rhinocerotids’ paleoecology during the early and middle Miocene of Europe and Pakistan. We studied the dental texture microwear (proxy for diet) and enamel hypoplasia (stress indicator) of 19 species belonging to four sub-tribes and an unnamed clade of Rhinocerotidae, and coming from nine Eurasian localities ranging from Mammal Neogene zone (MN) 2 to MN7/8. Our results suggest clear differences in the feeding ecology and thus niche partitioning at Kumbi 4 (MN2, Pakistan), Sansan (MN6, France), and Villefranche d’Astarac (MN7/8, France), while overlap of the interpreted diets and subtle variations are discussed for Béon 1 (MN4, France) and Gračanica (MN5/6, Bosnia-Herzegovina). All rhinocerotids studied were interpreted as browsers or mixed-feeders, and none had a grazer nor frugivore diet. The prevalence of hypoplasia was moderate (~ 10%) to high (> 20%) at all localities but Kumbi 4 (~ 6%), and documented quite well the local conditions. For instance, the high prevalence at the close to Miocene Climatic Optimum locality of Béon 1 (~26%) has been correlated with periodical droughts, while the moderate ones (~ 10%) at Sansan and Devínska Nová Ves Spalte (Slovakia) both dated from the MN6 (i.e., by the middle Miocene Climatic Transition, ca. 13.9 Mya) were linked to the persistence of sub-tropical local conditions. Besides locality, species and tooth locus were also important factors of variation for the prevalence of hypoplasia. The very large hippo-like <em>Brachypotherium brachypus</em> was one of the most affected species at all concerned localities (but Sansan), whereas early-diverging elasmotheriines were very little affected, suggesting an influence of phylogeny and/or diet in stress susceptibility.</p>

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Keywords

paleoecology, Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO), microwear (DMTA), enamel hypoplasia

Methods that require specific expertise (optional)

NonePlease indicate the methods that may require specialised expertise during the peer review process (use a comma to separate various required expertises).

Thematic fields

Paleobiodiversity, Paleobiology, Paleoecology, Paleopathology, Vertebrate paleontology

Suggested reviewers - Suggest up to 10 reviewers (provide names and Email addresses). (Optional)

Alexandros Xafis - alexandros.xafis@univie.ac.at OR alxafis@gmail.com, Antigone Uzunidis - auzunidis@iphes.cat, Leire Perales - leire.perales@ehu.eus, Matthew Mihlbachler - mmihlbac@nyit.edu No need for them to be recommenders of PCIPaleo. Please do not suggest reviewers for whom there might be a conflict of interest. Reviewers are not allowed to review preprints written by close colleagues (with whom they have published in the last four years, with whom they have received joint funding in the last four years, or with whom they are currently writing a manuscript, or submitting a grant proposal), or by family members, friends, or anyone for whom bias might affect the nature of the review - see the code of conduct

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Submission date

2022-05-09 09:33:30

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Alexandra Houssaye

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