Tapirus veroensis

The first complete skull with full dentition of T. veroensis fossil was found at Vero Beach, Florida, in 1915 and named in 1918 by the Florida State Geologist E. H. Sellards. Fragmentary specimens had been described by Leidy as early as 1852.[1]

Tapirus veroensis inhabited the Southern and Eastern United States, ranging as far west as Texas and as far north as Illinois and New York State.[2]

Tooth from the extinct North American Tapirus veroensis 2.5 cm wide. ~1 million years old, alluvial deposits, Florida, USA

Tapirus veroensis is thought to have been more tolerant of cold environments than most living tapirs.[2] It was mid-sized for a tapir, comparable in size to Baird's tapir or the South American tapir, with an estimated body weight of approximately 230 kilograms (510 lb).[3] The sagittal crest was low in comparison to some other tapir species.[4] It has been estimated to have had a relatively high bite force, and was probably capable of consuming a wide variety of vegetation.[5]

Life reconstruction

The taxonomy of Pleistocene North American tapirs has long been the subject of confusion, with many named species now recognised as synonyms of T. veroensis. Tapirus veroensis is the type species of the subgenus Helicotapirus, which includes several other species of extinct tapir from North America like Tapirus lundeliusi and Tapirus haysii. These tapirs are thought to be more closely related to living South American tapirs than to the Malayan tapir.[6] Tapirus veroensis was coeval with two other species of North American tapir Tapirus merriami and Tapirus californicus, native to Western North America, but their poor preservation makes their relationships to other tapirs uncertain.[6]