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Key innovations in ruminant evolution: A paleontological perspective

Key innovations are newly acquired structures that permit the performance of a new function and open new adaptive zones, and are, therefore, of paramount significance for understanding the history of the Ruminantia, particularly its diversification through the Miocene. Here we review and discuss what is known about these evolutionary novelties, with special emphasis on the appearance and evolution of cranial appendages and highcrowned (or hypsodont) teeth. Cranial appendages probably favored the diversification of pecorans by being structures strongly related to

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Enamel ridge alignment in upper molars of ruminants in relation to their natural diet

Although it is generally thought that dental design reflects mechanical adaptations to particular diets, concrete concepts of such adaptations beyond the evolution of hypsodonty are largely missing. We investigated the alignment of enamel ridges in the occlusal molar surface of 37 ruminant species and tested for correlations with the percentage of grass in the natural diet. Independent of phylogenetic lineage, species that were either larger and/or included more grass in their natural diet showed a higher proportion of enamel ridges

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