Protypotherium

Protypotherium
Temporal range: Miocene (Deseadan-Huayquerian)
~23.03–6.8 Ma
Fossil of P. australe. Exhibit in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: †Notoungulata
Suborder: †Typotheria
Family: †Interatheriidae
Genus: †Protypotherium
Ameghino, 1882

Protypotherium is an extinct genus of notoungulate mammals native to South America during the Miocene epoch. A number of closely related animals date back further, to the Paleocene. Fossils of Protypotherium have been found in the Deseadan Fray Bentos Formation of Uruguay, Muyu Huasi Formation of Bolivia, Cura-Mallín and Río Frías Formations of Chile and Santa Cruz, Salicas, Ituzaingó, Cerro Bandera, Chichinales, Sarmiento and Collón Cura Formations of Argentina.[1]

Description

P. leptocephalum skull at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Restoration of P. australe and Stegotherium tesselatum

Protypotherium was slightly larger than a rabbit, measuring about 40 centimetres (1.3 ft) in length. The body and legs as well as the tail of this animal were relatively long, while its neck was short. It probably resembled a rodent, possessing slender limbs with clawed feet. Its rat-like skull contained a set of 44 unspecialized teeth.[2]

From the shape of its claws, Protypotherium would have been adept at digging and likely took over the burrows of other animals.

References

  1. ↑ Protypotherium at Fossilworks.org
  2. ↑ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 251. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.


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