Feeding ecology of the gomphotheres (Proboscidea, Gomphotheriidae) of America

Based on data from analyses on previously-reported carbon stable isotope data from dental enamel and dentine from tusks reported in the literature, diets were inferred for the gomphothere genera Amebelodon, Cuvieronius, Gomphotherium, Rhynchotherium, Serbelodon, and Stegomastodon (Proboscidea, Gomphotheriidae) that inhabited the Americas during the Cenozoic. Amebelodon, Gomphotherium, and Serbelodon specimens of the Barstovian and Clarendonian faunal stages fed on C plants; while the same Hemphillian genera consumed a mixed C/C diet. Hemphillian Rhynchotherium were mixed-diet feeders while Blancan specimens of the same genus fed on C plants. Stegomastodon from the same Blancan period consumed a mixed C/C diet, similar to Rancholabrean animals, although Lujanian specimens ate C plants. As for the genus Cuvieronius, Irvingtonian, Rancholabrean, and Lujanian specimens consumed a mixed C/C diet. These results suggested that American gomphotheres displayed generalist feeding habits, allowing them to inhabit different environments in extensive areas of the continents, and survive to the end of the Pleistocene.To PAPIIT (IA#104017 and IA#102719), for providing financial support for this project to Víctor Adrian Perez Crespo. Research Project ANPCYT PICT 20151512 and Grant UNICEN, Argentina were awarded to Jose Luis Prado; DGICYT CGL2016-79334-P from Spain granted to Maria Teresa Alberdi contributed to funding this investigation