Tapiroidea is a superfamily of

perissodactyl Odd-toed ungulates, mammals which constitute the taxonomic order Perissodactyla (, ), are animals—ungulates—who have reduced the weight-bearing toes to three (rhinoceroses and tapirs, with tapirs still using four toes on the front legs) ...

s which includes the modern

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...

. Members of the superfamily are small to large

browsing Browsing is a kind of orienting strategy. It is supposed to identify something of relevance for the browsing organism. When used about human beings it is a metaphor taken from the animal kingdom. It is used, for example, about people browsing o ...

mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short,

prehensile Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term ''prehendere'', meaning "to grasp". The ability to grasp is likely derived from a number of different origi ...

snouts. Their closest relatives are the other

odd-toed ungulate Odd-toed ungulates, mammals which constitute the taxonomic order Perissodactyla (, ), are animals—ungulates—who have reduced the weight-bearing toes to three (rhinoceroses and tapirs, with tapirs still using four toes on the front legs) ...

s, including horses and rhinoceroses. Taxonomically, they are placed in suborder

Ceratomorpha Odd-toed ungulates, mammals which constitute the taxonomic order Perissodactyla (, ), are animals— ungulates—who have reduced the weight-bearing toes to three (rhinoceroses and tapirs, with tapirs still using four toes on the front legs) ...

along with the rhino superfamily,

Rhinocerotoidea Rhinocerotoidea is a superfamily consisting of three family groups of odd-toed ungulates, three of which, the Amynodontidae, Hyracodontidae, and Paraceratheriidae, are extinct. The only extant family group is the Rhinocerotidae (true rhinocerose ...

. The first members of Tapiroidea appeared during the

Early Eocene In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

, 55 million years ago.

Evolution and natural history

The first tapirids, such as ''

Heptodon ''Heptodon'' is an extinct genus of tapir-type herbivore of the family Helaletidae endemic to North America during the Early Eocene. It lived from 50.3—48.6 mya, existing for approximately . ''Heptodon'' was about in length, and closely res ...

'', appeared in the early Eocene. They appeared very similar to modern forms, but were about half the size, and lack the proboscis. The first true tapirs, appeared in the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but ...

, and by the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...

, such genera as ''

Miotapirus ''Miotapirus harrisonensis'' is an extinct species of tapir lived during the early Miocene Epoch some 20 million years ago in North America. Physically ''Miotapirus'' was virtually identical to its modern relatives; with a length of 2 m (6 ...

'' were almost indistinguishable to the extant species. It is believed that Asian and American tapirs diverged around 20 to 30 million years ago, and that tapirs migrated from North America and Central America into South America around 3 million years ago, as part of the

Great American Interchange The Great American Biotic Interchange (commonly abbreviated as GABI), also known as the Great American Interchange and the Great American Faunal Interchange, was an important late Cenozoic paleozoogeographic biotic interchange event in which la ...

. For much of their history, tapirs were spread across the northern hemisphere, where they became extinct as recently as 10,000 years ago. It is also believed by some scientists that the tapir may have evolved from ''

Hyracotherium ''Hyracotherium'' ( ; " hyrax-like beast") is an extinct genus of very small (about 60 cm in length) perissodactyl ungulates that was found in the London Clay formation. This small, fox-sized animal was once considered to be the earliest ...

'' (a

palaeothere Palaeotheriidae is an extinct family of herbivorous perissodactyl mammals related to equids. They ranged across Europe and Asia from the Eocene through to the early Oligocene 55–33 Ma, existing for approximately . Living in dense ...

).Florida Museum of Natural History Fact Page
/ref>

Taxonomy

*Superfamily Tapiroidea **Family †

Deperetellidae Deperetellidae is an extinct family of herbivorous odd-toed ungulates containing the genera ''Bahinolophus'', ''Deperetella ''Deperetella'' is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammals that flourished in the Eocene and were related to tapirs. ...

***Genus †''

Bahinolophus ''Bahinolophus'' is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammals that flourished in the middle Eocene and were related to tapirs Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, wit ...

'' ***Genus †''

Deperetella ''Deperetella'' is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammals that flourished in the Eocene and were related to tapirs. The genus was defined in 1925 by W. D. Matthew and Walter W. Granger, who named it after French paleontologist Charles Depéret ...

'' ***Genus †'' Irenolophus'' ***Genus †''

Teleolophus ''Teleolophus'' is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammals related to tapirs that flourished in the Eocene of Asia. References Eocene odd-toed ungulates Eocene mammals of Asia Fossil taxa described in 1925 {{paleo-oddtoedungulate- ...

'' **Family

Tapiridae Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inhabi ...

***Genus †'' Eotapirus'' ***Genus †''

'' ***Genus †''

Nexuotapirus ''Nexuotapirus'' is an extinct genus of tapir from the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene of North America. Taxonomy ''Nexuotapirus'' was erected in 1998. The type species, ''N. marslandensis'', was originally classified under '' Miotapirus''. Th ...

'' ***Genus †''

Paratapirus ''Paratapirus'' is an extinct genus of tapir known from the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene of Europe. Taxonomy Two species are considered valid: *''P. helveticus'' *''P. intermedius'' The species ''P. moguntiacus'' and ''P. robustus'' are ...

'' ***Genus †''

Plesiotapirus ''Plesiotapirus'' is an extinct genus of tapir from the Miocene of Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shar ...

'' ***Genus †''

Protapirus ''Protapirus'' (Latin: "before" (pro), + Brazilian Indian: "tapir" (tapira)) is an extinct genus of tapir known from the Oligocene and Miocene of North America and Eurasia. Taxonomy The type species is ''Protapirus priscus'' from the Late Oligo ...

'' (syn. ''Tanyops'') ***Genus †''

Tapiravus ''Tapiravus'' is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammals that were related to tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tap ...

'' ***Genus ''

Tapirus ''Tapirus'' is a genus of tapir which contains the three living American tapir species. The Malayan tapir is usually included in ''Tapirus'' as well, although some authorities have moved it into its own genus, '' Acrocodia''. Extant species ...

'' **Family †

Helaletidae The Helaletidae is an extinct family of tapiroid Tapiroidea is a superfamily of perissodactyls which includes the modern tapir. Members of the superfamily are small to large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile sn ...

***Genus †''

Colodon ''Colodon'' is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammals that were related to tapirs of today.L. T. Holbrook. 1999. The Phylogeny and classification of tapiromorph perissodactyls (Mammalia). Cladistics 15(3):331-350 . Alroy/J. Alroy/M. Uhen/ref> ...

'' ***Genus †''

Dilophodon Tapiroidea is a superfamily of perissodactyls which includes the modern tapir. Members of the superfamily are small to large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. Their closest relatives are the other odd ...

'' ***Genus †''

Helaletes ''Helaletes'' is an extinct perissodactyl closely related to tapirs. Fossils have been found in North America. Taxonomy The type species of ''Helaletes'', ''H. nanus'', is known from Bridgerian-age fossils in the western US. ''Desmatotherium m ...

'' ***Genus †''

Heteraletes Tapiroidea is a superfamily of perissodactyls which includes the modern tapir. Members of the superfamily are small to large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toe ...

'' ***Genus †''

Paracolodon ''Paracolodon'' is an extinct genus of tapiroid perissodactyl belonging to the family Helaletidae. Fossils have been found in Mongolia and the Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous ...

'' ***Genus †''

Plesiocolopirus Tapiroidea is a superfamily of perissodactyls which includes the modern tapir. Members of the superfamily are small to large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toe ...

'' *Placement uncertain **Genus †''

Indolophus Indolophus is an extinct genus of perissodactyl belonging to the clade Tapiromorpha, which includes modern-day tapirs. Fossils have been found in the Early Eocene of Myanmar. Description ''Indolophus'' can be distinguished from other tapiromorph ...

'' **Genus †''

Thuliadanta ''Thuliadanta'' is an extinct genus of ceratomorph perissodactyl closely related to modern tapirs that is known from the early Eocene Margaret Formation of Arctic Canada (Nunavut and Northwest Territories). Paleogeographic significance ''Thulia ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7684685 Odd-toed ungulates Tapirs Extant Eocene first appearances Mammal superfamilies