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Size decrease in Pleistocene-Holocene true or caballoid horses of Europe

Size decrease in Pleistocene-Holocene true or caballoid horses of Europe INTRODUCTION Size decrease with time in Eurasian Pleistocene true or caballoid horses is a controversial topic, opinions seldom being based on analysis of fossil data, however. In a recent article (Forsten, 1990) I checked for size trends in the cheek teeth of fossil caballoid horses from a sequence of levels of the Sandalja II cave of north-western Yugoslavia. The whole cave sequence probably derives from the latest Pleistocene. I measured the teeth both at the tooth base and at the occlusal surface, then analysed for correlation between size and cave level. The result of the analysis was conflicting, since the measurements taken at the tooth base indicated size decrease of the teeth with time, while those taken at the occlusal surface showed no trend at all. An analysis of data spanning a time-range longer than that of a single, usually short, cave sequence could be interesting and might settle the issue. If possible, such data should span most of the temporal range of the caballoids in Eurasia, or the middle and late Pleistocene and Holocene. However, in Europe there are no local sequences complete enough. For an analysis of long-time size trends one has to be contented with http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Mammalia - International Journal of the Systematics, Biology and Ecology of Mammals de Gruyter

Size decrease in Pleistocene-Holocene true or caballoid horses of Europe

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References (41)

Publisher
de Gruyter
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Walter de Gruyter
ISSN
0025-1461
eISSN
1864-1547
DOI
10.1515/mamm.1991.55.3.407
Publisher site
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION Size decrease with time in Eurasian Pleistocene true or caballoid horses is a controversial topic, opinions seldom being based on analysis of fossil data, however. In a recent article (Forsten, 1990) I checked for size trends in the cheek teeth of fossil caballoid horses from a sequence of levels of the Sandalja II cave of north-western Yugoslavia. The whole cave sequence probably derives from the latest Pleistocene. I measured the teeth both at the tooth base and at the occlusal surface, then analysed for correlation between size and cave level. The result of the analysis was conflicting, since the measurements taken at the tooth base indicated size decrease of the teeth with time, while those taken at the occlusal surface showed no trend at all. An analysis of data spanning a time-range longer than that of a single, usually short, cave sequence could be interesting and might settle the issue. If possible, such data should span most of the temporal range of the caballoids in Eurasia, or the middle and late Pleistocene and Holocene. However, in Europe there are no local sequences complete enough. For an analysis of long-time size trends one has to be contented with

Journal

Mammalia - International Journal of the Systematics, Biology and Ecology of Mammals – de Gruyter

Published: Jan 1, 1991

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