What evidence provided the resolution to the long-standing classification puzzle of *Macrauchenia*?
Answer
Application of molecular biology to ancient remains
The turning point in understanding *Macrauchenia* came with the successful extraction and analysis of ancient DNA, providing genetic evidence that superseded purely skeletal comparisons.
Related Questions
Which concept explains why similar features like hooves evolved independently in disparate groups like *Macrauchenia* and horses?Which physical trait initially led scientists to group *Macrauchenia* with the Camelidae family?What definitive order is *Macrauchenia* firmly established as belonging to?What evidence provided the resolution to the long-standing classification puzzle of *Macrauchenia*?According to the modern genetic consensus, which group contains *Macrauchenia's* closest living relatives?Which ancient South American event led to the extinction of *Macrauchenia* around 10,000 years ago?Which three modern families comprise the order identified as the closest living relatives of *Macrauchenia*?During which geological epochs did *Macrauchenia* roam the plains of South America?What conflicting structural feature suggested early anatomists might place *Macrauchenia* within the Perissodactyla order?What ecological role did South American isolation allow endemic ungulates like *Macrauchenia* to fill in contrast to other continents?