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The Lagoa Santa region presents an important karst complex that includes several caves with a large amount of osteological material dated from the Quaternary. Among the caves presenting a large volume of paleovertebrates in Lagoa Santa is the Cuvieri Cave, dated from the Pleistocene and Holocene. The Tapiridae family originates in the northern hemisphere and its remains are found in South America from the Pleistocene onwards. The present study describes three specimens of Tapirus sp., one subadult and two adults, found in Cuvieri Cave. The subadult specimen has a proportion similar to that of an adult Tapirus terrestris, but it is smaller in comparison to the two adults. The main difference observed in the Cuvieri specimens is that the appendicular bones are more robust and longer than those of T. terrestris, with the distal bones showing the greatest proportional difference. Regardless of the observed differences, the individuals might have probably lived in an environment quite similar to the present day one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Cuvieri Cave is a palaeontological site located in the Lagoa Santa Karst, known for its large number of caves containing bones preserved from recent and extinct vertebrate animals. These caves served as natural traps for numerous groups of animals and, due to their relatively stable environmental conditions, much osteological material was preserved. Tapirids have had their remains recognised since the Pleistocene, but very young individuals are extremely rare and little known. The present study describes the occurrence of the youngest specimen of Tapirus found in Quaternary deposits. The specimen consists of teeth, vertebrae and appendicular bones (femurs, humerus, tibia, radius, ulna, and scapula). No evidence of wear, predatory attack or weathering was observed on the bones. Due to the size and morphology of the bones and the non- wearing of the teeth, it is possible to infer that the individual was very young and might have been accidentally separated from the mother before falling in the natural trap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ribeira de Iguape Valley, located in the south of the state of São Paulo, presents a complex system of caves developed from Precambrian carbonate rocks. The presence of such karstic system favored the preservation of numerous fossilized remains of Quaternary mammals. The Abismo Ponta de Flecha Cave, located in the municipality of Iporanga, is a vertical cave divided into several lateral galleries with abundant vertebrate specimens. Among the most common are the ungulates, a clade of mammals characterized mainly by the presence of hooves, represented by the Holoarctic ungulates families Cervidae, Tayassuidae, Tapiridae, and the South American native ungulate Toxodontidae. The most common family in the deposit is Tayassuidae, with several individuals assigned to the species Tayassu pecari , Dicotyles tajacu , as well as an indeterminate large Tayassuidae. The Cervidae remains found in the cave have two species assigned to the genus Mazama ; M. americana and M. gouazoubira. A specimen of the Tapiridae family, Tapirus sp., was also found. Only one species attributed to the extinct family Toxodontidae, Toxodon platensis , was recorded. Many specimens of Tayassuidae and Cervidae were subadults, and one individual of Tayassu pecari was very young. The origin of the specimens might be the result of the transport of individual bone parts, the death of accidently trapped animals as well as the disposal of such remains by human groups that inhabited the region in the past. • The most common family is Tayassuidae. • The Cervidae have two species assigned to the genus Mazama ; M. americana and M. gouazoubira. • The specimen of the Tapiridae family, Tapirus sp., was also found. • Only one species attributed to the extinct family Toxodontidae, Toxodon platensis , was recorded. • The origin of the specimens might be disposal by human groups that inhabited the region in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]