| Timing of Loss |
"For example, theearliest proboscideans [59 to 60 million–year–old (Ma) Eritherium(41)] and hyraxes [~55-Ma Seggeurius (42)] were small (~3 to 5 kg)but gave rise to much larger species (for example, 3600-kg Barytheriumand 800- to 1400-kg Titanohyrax ulitimus), coincident with our esti-mates of ucp1 inactivation. Although large-bodied (~625- to 800-kg)hyracoids such as “Titanohyrax” mongereaui are also known from ear-lier deposits, the presence of only a single, “primitive” Seggeurius-sizedspecies (Dimaitherium patnaiki) from the early Priabonian (~37 Ma)suggests that gigantism evolved independently in Middle and Late Eo-cene hyracoids (43). " |
10.1126/sciadv.1602878 |