﻿470 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  103 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  — 
  ^From 
  upper 
  subtropical 
  and 
  temperate 
  zone 
  forests 
  

   into 
  bordering 
  "paramos," 
  or 
  grasslands, 
  of 
  the 
  Andes 
  in 
  Colombia, 
  

   Ecuador, 
  and 
  possibly 
  in 
  northern 
  Perii 
  and 
  western 
  Venezuela 
  

   (Sierra 
  de 
  Merida). 
  (See 
  map, 
  fig. 
  61.) 
  

  

  Characters. 
  — 
  Head 
  flattened 
  dorsally, 
  without 
  mane; 
  proboscis 
  

   short 
  and 
  comparatively 
  delicate; 
  pelage 
  long, 
  coarse, 
  thick, 
  the 
  

   skin 
  well 
  covered 
  except 
  usually 
  on 
  rump 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  marked 
  by 
  

   one 
  or 
  two 
  patches 
  of 
  abraded 
  pelage, 
  or 
  callouses 
  in 
  old 
  adults; 
  

   hoofs 
  elongated, 
  each 
  longer 
  than 
  wide. 
  Dorsal 
  contour 
  of 
  skull 
  

   flattened 
  (fig. 
  58, 
  c) 
  ; 
  median 
  frontal 
  line 
  on 
  about 
  same 
  horizontal 
  

   plane 
  as 
  nasals 
  and 
  roughly 
  parallel 
  to 
  horizontal 
  plane 
  of 
  maxillary 
  

   tooth 
  row; 
  superior 
  parietal 
  ridges 
  approximating 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  low 
  

   sagittal 
  crest 
  marked 
  by 
  a 
  longitudinal 
  groove 
  (fig. 
  59, 
  c) 
  that 
  tends 
  

   to 
  obsolescence 
  in 
  old 
  individuals; 
  ossification 
  of 
  mesethmoid 
  carti- 
  

   lage 
  not 
  extending 
  beyond 
  tips 
  of 
  nasals; 
  exposed 
  dorsal 
  surface 
  of 
  

   maxilla 
  as 
  in 
  Tapirus 
  but 
  may 
  be 
  flattened 
  mediolateraily, 
  maxillae 
  

   somewhat 
  less 
  divergent 
  from 
  each 
  other 
  than 
  in 
  Tapirus; 
  postero- 
  

   lateral 
  maxillary 
  process 
  as 
  in 
  Tapirus, 
  overlying 
  frontal 
  process 
  and 
  

   not 
  entering 
  into 
  composition 
  of 
  inner 
  lateral 
  wall 
  of 
  narial 
  meatus; 
  

   posterolateral 
  margin 
  of 
  premaxilla 
  slightly, 
  entirely, 
  or 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  

   embraced 
  laterally 
  by 
  outer 
  anterior 
  border 
  of 
  maxilla; 
  nasals 
  as 
  in 
  

   Tapirus 
  but 
  more 
  elongate, 
  descending 
  process 
  more 
  delicate. 
  First 
  

   upper 
  premolar 
  with 
  or 
  without 
  cinguloid 
  shelf 
  extending 
  anteriorly 
  

   from 
  protocone 
  (fig. 
  60, 
  a, 
  h) 
  ; 
  upper 
  incisors 
  distinctly 
  opisthodont. 
  

  

  Remarks. 
  — 
  Cranial 
  contours 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  tapir 
  show 
  least 
  

   departure 
  from 
  primitive 
  lines; 
  cranial 
  characters 
  generally, 
  and 
  

   particularly 
  those 
  associated 
  vnih. 
  the 
  comparatively 
  little-developed 
  

   proboscis, 
  are 
  less 
  specialized 
  than 
  in 
  other 
  Recent 
  species; 
  dentition, 
  

   as 
  manifested 
  by 
  the 
  first 
  upper 
  premolar, 
  is 
  variable. 
  Ecuadorian 
  

   specimens 
  show 
  the 
  simple 
  condition, 
  with 
  cinguloid 
  shelf 
  absent, 
  

   while 
  the 
  only 
  authentic 
  Colombian 
  skull 
  examined 
  shows 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   molar 
  as 
  in 
  true 
  Tapirus. 
  

  

  Distribution 
  of 
  Pinchacus 
  points 
  to 
  its 
  prior 
  arrival 
  into 
  South 
  

   America 
  and 
  at 
  a 
  period 
  when 
  a 
  temperate 
  climate 
  prevailed 
  at 
  sea 
  

   level 
  in 
  equatorial 
  latitudes. 
  It 
  inhabits 
  an 
  area 
  representing 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  original 
  Colombian 
  Central 
  Land 
  Mass, 
  the 
  South 
  American 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  intercontinental 
  land 
  bridge 
  where 
  Tertiary 
  mammals 
  

   entering 
  from 
  North 
  America 
  established 
  foothold. 
  Present 
  restric- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  Pinchacus 
  to 
  the 
  Colombian 
  Central 
  Land 
  Mass, 
  now 
  the 
  

   temperate 
  zone 
  of 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  Venezuelan, 
  Colombian, 
  and 
  Ecua- 
  

   dorian 
  Andes, 
  probably 
  is 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  an 
  inherited 
  urge 
  for 
  susten- 
  

   tation 
  in 
  cooler 
  climates 
  pari 
  passu 
  with 
  increasing 
  rise 
  in 
  height 
  

   of 
  the 
  Andes 
  above 
  sea 
  level 
  and 
  rising 
  temperatures 
  at 
  sea 
  level. 
  

   Newly 
  estabhshed 
  tropical 
  zone 
  habitats 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Andes 
  

   were 
  invaded 
  subsequently 
  by 
  other 
  kinds 
  of 
  taphs. 
  

  

  