Zmienność form morfologicznych w ujęciu ewolucyjnym na przykładzie trąbowców (Proboscidea)

Abstract

The article concentrates on the evolutionary aspect of biodiversity in proboscides (Proboscidea). Main evolutionary trends in this group include the increase in body size and teeth specialization due to spread of grasslands and shrinking of marsh areas (which were the natural environment of the first proboscides). Furthermore, the great diversity of incisor forms in proboscides and the specific adaptations of insular species is overviewed and illustrated. Studying the extinct species requires referring to many different sources of information. In the case of proboscides we can combine morphometrical and morphological analysis of bones, DNA research, comparison to extant species, as well as Paleolithic human paintings in caves and examination of individuals from the permafrost of Siberia and Alaska.