Pearce's Peccary Platygonus Pearcei

Pearce's Peccary Platygonus pearcei Greg McDonald Monument Paleontologist In 193 8, one of the plant eaters and use it for scientists who excavated at defense. By rubbing the tusks the Hagerman Horse Quarry, Dr. together they can make a C.L. Gazin, described a new chattering noise that warns species of peccary, Platygonus potential predators to not get pearcei, from the Hagerman too close. fossil beds. The name Today there are three Platygonus means flat head and living species of peccary. refers to the straight shape They are found from the of the forehead. The species southwestern United States name pearcei is for the through Central America and discoverer, George B. Pearce, into South America. The only a member of the 1934 peccary in the United States Smithsonian field crew. Since is the collared peccary its original discovery at (Dicotyles tajacu), also known Hagerman, Pearce's peccary has by its Spanish name, javelina. been found near Grand View It is often found in dry arid Idaho and at White Bluffs, habitats. A second species is Washington. the White-lipped peccary People often confuse (Tayassu peccari) which is peccaries, which are found in found in the rain forests of the New World, with pigs which Central and South America. originated in the Old World, The last species, the Chacoan especially since some domestic peccary (Catagonus wagneri) is pigs brought by european the closest living relative to settlers have escaped over the the extinct Platygonus pearcei years and now run wild in many found at Hagerman. It is parts of the United States. found in the dry shrub habitat These feral pigs are popularly or Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia known as razor-back hogs. and Southern Brazil. The Relatives of the Old World Chacoan peccary has the pigs include the wart hog of unusual distinction of having Africa. One of the ways to been first been described tell the two groups apart is based on fossils and was the shape of the canine tooth originally thought to be only or "tusk". In the Old World an extinct species. In 1975 pigs the tusk is long and the animal was discovered to curves around on itself, still be alive and well in the whereas in the New World Chaco region of Paraguay. peccaries the tusk is short This third species of peccary and straight. Peccaries are was well known by the native indians but it took awhile for America. Along with scientists to discover its peccaries, lamas and tapirs existence. also migrated south. Today Peccaries have a long people think these animals are history in North America. South American, yet all come They first appear in the Early from North American ancestors. Oligocene, about 32 million The exchange was a two-way years ago and a variety of street however, and some of different species are present the ancient South American in faunas of different ages species, like the ground across the continent. Some of sloth, migrated north and are these extinct peccaries have found at Hagerman. been found at John Day Fossil Modern peccaries are Beds National Monument in social animals and often form Oregon and at Badlands herds. Over 100 individuals National Monument in South have been recorded for a Dakota. Although common in single herd of white-lipped South America today, peccaries peccary but smaller size did not reach that continent groups are usually the case in until about 9 million years the collared peccary and ago. Prior to that, there was Chacoan peccary. Such social no isthmus of Panama, and behavior seems to have been South America was an island the situation in extinct continent. As the Panamanian peccaries as well. Pearce's isthmus formed, many North Platygonus discovery at American animals entered South Hagerman included 3 individuals, an adult and two juveniles. The skeletons were found articulated (all of the bones in proper position to each other) suggesting that this small family group died at the same time and were quickly buried. The entire family group was preserved as one piece and is on display at the Smithsonian in front of the Hagerman mural. That Pearce's peccary must have been a common member of the Hagerman fauna 3.5 million years ago is also indicated by the numerous isolated bones and teeth that have been found throughout the Monument. .

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