Ancient Peccary (Platygonus pearcei)

Paleoart recreation of the holotype peccary specimens found at Hagerman Fossil Beds in 1934: an adult and two juveniles.

Art by Reid Psaltis

Fossil jaw fragment from a juvenile peccary

Image courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

Quick Facts!

• Common names: peccary, javelina
• Scientific name: Platygonus pearcei
• What’s in a name? Platygonus translates to “flat head,” and pearcei comes from George B. Pearce, one of the paleontologists who found the first fossils of the species.
• Closest living relative: likely the Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri)
• Size: approximately 1 m (3 ft) long
• Lived: about 4 to 3 million years ago
• Fossils found: This species was first uncovered at Hagerman Fossil Beds in 1934. Other specimens have since been found in Washington and Nevada.

An Extraordinary Discovery

In 1934, the last year of the Smithsonian Expeditions, a team of paleontologists excavated a brand new (holotype) species: Platygonus pearcei. The stunning find not only introduced a new species to science, but it also consisted of a complete adult skeleton and two juvenile specimens. Such complete remains are quite rare, and many other species have been identified from only a tooth or fossil fragment.

Fossil Fact!

A “holotype” is the first fossil found of a particular species. Later discoveries are compared to this first specimen for identification.

A collared peccary, or javelina, at Big Bend National Park. Living species of peccary inhabit the southwestern United States and much of Central and South America.

NPS Photo/Jennette Jurado

Some Pig?

Although they resemble pigs at first glance, the peccary (Tyassuidae) and pig (Suidae) families diverged about 37 million years ago. Peccaries once lived in many parts of the world, but today, there are only four known species of living peccaries, all in North and South America. The collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), or javelina, can be found in the southwestern United States. The Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri) was first identified from fossils, but was later found living in the Chaco region of South America. This species is considered the closest living relative of Platygonus pearcei.

Old and New

Sometimes scientists will observe similar modern (extant) animals to infer the behavior of fossil species. Today, peccaries live in groups called squadrons, which might consist of 20 or so individuals for the desert-dwelling Chacoan or collared peccary, or into the hundreds for the forest-loving white-lipped peccary. Peccaries typically occupy a set range or territory. They tend to be opportunistic eaters, dining on a variety of plants (and occasionally animals.) From fossil evidence and the behavior of living peccaries, we can infer that Platygonus pearcei may have lived a similar lifestyle.

Fossil Fact!

Like nearly all of the fossils excavated during the 1929–1934 expeditions, Hagerman’s holotype Platygonus pearcei specimens are housed in the collection of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Because of their importance to researchers, they are not currently on display.