Brachydiastematherium

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Brachydiastematherium
Temporal range: Late Eocene
Holotype of Brachydiastematherium.png
Holotype of B. transylvanicum.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Brontotheriidae
Genus: Brachydiastematherium
Böckh & Matyasovski, 1876
Species:
B. transylvanicum
Binomial name
Brachydiastematherium transylvanicum
Böckh & Matyasovski, 1876

Brachydiastematherium transylvanicum (literally "short Diastema Beast of Transylvania") is the westernmost species of brontothere, with the first fossils of it being found in Transylvania, Romania. In comparison with other brontothere fossils, it is suggested that B. transylvanicum would have had an elongated head, not unlike Dolichorhinus , and be about 2 meters at the withers (anatomically speaking, the highest part of the back at the base of the neck). [1] [2]

Phylogeny

Cladogram after Mihlbachler (2008): [3]

  Embolotheriita  

  Aktautitan

  Pollyosbornia

  Gnathotitan

  Pygmaetitan

 Brachydiastematherium

  Metatitan

  Nasamplus

  Protembolotherium

  Embolotherium

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References

  1. Spencer George Lucas und Robert M. Schoch: European Brontotheres. In: Donald R. Prothero und Robert M. Schoch (Hrsg.): The evolution of perissodactyls. New York und London, 1989, S. 485–489
  2. Cristina Fărcas: Study of the Upper Eocene-Lower Oligocene continental formations from northwestern side of Transylvanian Depression - Biostratigraphy, and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions based on land vertebrates. Babeș-Bolyai-Universität, Cluj-Napoca, 2011
  3. Matthew C. Mihlbachler: Species taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography of the Brontotheriidae (Mammalia: Perissodactyla). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 311, 2008, ISSN 0003-0090, S. 1–475.