New fossils of the early Miocene stem-cervid Acteocemas (Artiodactyla, Ruminantia) from the Iberian Peninsula shed light on the evolutionary origin of deer antler regeneration
Azanza, Beatriz (Universidad de Zaragoza. Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón)
Pina, Marta (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Quiralte, Victoria (Museo Geominero (IGME))
Sánchez, Israel M. (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
DeMiguel, Daniel (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)

Date:	2022
Abstract:	Acteocemas, a very poorly documented early Miocene stem-cervid, is one of the first ruminants bearing antler-like appendages, which has provided a ground for discussion on the origin of antlers. We describe a new and very complete appendage from the site of Sant Andreu de la Barca (Spain) together with some other unpublished specimens from the nearby Costablanca attributed to Acteocemas aff. infans, compare with fossils from elsewhere in Europe (including the A. infans holotype), and perform micro-CT scans. The findings provide new empirical data that Acteocemas protoantlers were able to be cast and re-grown. However, microstructural analyses suggest that the protoantler lifespan could be longer than that of modern antlers, preventing it from assuming a similar cycle. Results support that increased seasonality associated with a drop in global temperatures played a role in the origin of antler regeneration, and that deciduousness (through bone shedding) was an efficient way for (male)deer to reduce the seasonal leftover of bone mass. The early evolution of deciduousness, as in the probable irregular protoanter cycle of Acteocemas, was limited by the warming ca. 17-15 Ma, whereas the emergence of antlers with coronet was concomitant with the second increase in seasonality associated to the cooling ca. 15-13 Ma.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2020-116220GB-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2020-117289GB-I00
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Cervidae ; Evolution ; Antler ; Palaeohistology ; Palaeophysiology
Published in:	Historical biology, Vol. 34, Issue 8 (2022) , p. 1520-1533, ISSN 1029-2381

DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2022.2050720

Postprint 33 p, 1.2 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles