Platygonus compressus

Overview

The flat-headed peccary, Platygonus compressus, lived in Ice Age North America. It is characterized by a short, deep snout and relatively long legs. Bones of this animal, commonly known farther south, were also found in the northern Yukon.^[1]

Key facts

A small forelimb bone from the Yukon greatly extended its known ancient distribution. A 2007 account described the record as approximately 3,000 km north of the previously known range. Even part of a bone, rather than a large skeleton, can inform studies of Ice Age animal movements.^[1]

Time and place

This was a North American animal of the Pleistocene Ice Age. A forelimb bone from the Old Crow Basin in present-day Yukon, Canada, was estimated to date to approximately 65,000–35,000 years ago. Fossils are also known from several caves and rock formations in the USA.^[1]

The time range describes source context, not the complete duration of this species.

Size, form and skeleton

An institutional account describes it as about the size of a European wild boar, with a shoulder height of approximately 76 cm. The snout is short and deep, and the legs are comparatively longer than those of living peccaries. The eyes sit relatively high and far back, and the feet have reduced side toes.^[1]

Habitat and reproduction

The account interprets its legs, eyes, and nose as suited to open environments. The cheek teeth were suitable for chewing tough plants, and a browsing diet has been proposed. Records of several individuals in caves invite research into group living.^[1]

Fossil discovery

A skull found in a Kentucky cave around 1804 was recognized as a peccary in 1806. LeConte named the species in 1848 from partial material at Galena, Illinois. Discoveries at different sites and older collections became part of the history of recognizing the same animal.^[1]

References

1. C. R. Harington (2007) · Flat-headed Peccary · Beringian Research Notes No. 15
2. Natural History Museum — The body and digital reconstruction of Macrauchenia
3. 2023 study — The long-standing misidentification of the first neck vertebra of Macrauchenia

Research questions

When did an Ice Age animal known farther south spread as far north as the Yukon? Researchers examine the location of the bone, the rock layers, and the climate of the time together. A small specimen can be connected to a continent-wide distribution.^[1]

Observation

Move your gaze from the short, deep snout to the high-set eyes and relatively long legs. Consider its body features alongside a life using open ground.^[1]