Figure 6

Reconstructing evolutionary history of hypsodonty (A) and feeding style (B) in Cervidae. Characters are traced onto a tree topology based on a recent molecular phylogeny [55] using MacClade 4.0.6 [56]. Two outgroups are considered for tracing displays of ancestral character states, A. americana and a clade formed by G. granti and T. imberbis bovids with M. moschiferus, following the mentioned molecular analysis. Data of extant taxa from [1], [5] and [9]. P. ginsburgi and Dicrocerus elegans are included in the cladogram as stem representatives of extant cervids. Also included were Stockoceros onusrosagris antilocaprid [9], closely related to A. americana, and Eotragus sansaniensis bovid [11] to obtain more reliable ancestral characters. The ordered type is assigned for reconstructing the transitions of feeding style from assumptions reported in [5], while the irreversible type is assumed to be the hypsodonty evolution [21]. Dental wear data of extinct species from [9] and [13].