Tapirus polkensis


Tapirus polkensis, the pygmy tapir, is a small prehistoric tapir that lived in North America during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. T. polkensis had an estimated mass of around, making it smaller than any extant tapir.
The Gray [Fossil Site] in northeast Tennessee is home to the world's largest known fossil assemblage of ''T. polkensis.''

Palaeoecology

Analysis of its tooth enamel δ13C values reveals T. polkensis to have been a forest-dwelling browser. Finite element analysis of the skull of T. polkensis suggests that it was strong enough to engage in hard-object feeding during unilateral biting but not bilateral biting, although dental microwear texture analysis indicates that this species was predominantly folivorous and seldom ate hard objects.