Hegetotherium

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Hegetotherium
Temporal range: Early-Middle Miocene (Colhuehuapian-Colloncuran)
~21–15.5  Ma
Hegetotherium.svg
Skull of Hegetotherium mirabile
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Notoungulata
Family: Hegetotheriidae
Subfamily: Hegetotheriinae
Genus: Hegetotherium
Ameghino 1887
Species
  • H. mirabileAmeghino 1887 (type)
  • H. cerdasensis Croft et al. 2016

Hegetotherium is a small to middle-sized extinct genus of mammals, ranging from the size of rabbit (about 20-30 cm/12-16") to a beaver (about 3 ft/1 m) from the Early to Middle Miocene (Colhuehuapian-Colloncuran in the SALMA classification), through Pliocene sites of South America. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Cerro Bandera, [1] Cerro Boleadoras, [2] Chichinales, [3] [4] Collón Curá, Santa Cruz [5] [6] and Sarmiento Formations of Argentina, the Nazareno Formation of Bolivia, [7] and the Galera [8] and Río Frías Formations of Chile.

Contents

Taxonomy

Hegetotherium is currently restricted to the type species, H. mirable, of which H. convexum, H. anceps, H. minum and H. andinum are synonyms, but also H. cerdasensis. "Hegetotherium" arctum was formerly assigned to this genus, but is clearly not a member of Hegetotheriidae. "Hegetotherium" novum was formerly referred to the closely related genus Prohegetotherium , but is now considered generically distinct from that genus. [9] [10]

Description

Hegetotheres are characterised by enlarged first upper incisors , implanted obliquely in the premaxilla, and lower teeth have a straight lingual face. They were among the most recently diverging families of Typothere Notiungulates ( an extinct order of ungulates that inhabited South America). With there ear;y fossil record closely resembeling mesotheres. [11]

The Hegetotheres, belonging to notoungulate group, have hypselodont (ever-growing) teeth. They reportedly have enlarged first upper incisors that are obliquely implanted in the prexamilla and lower teeth with a straight lingual face. [12] Their hypselodont teeth indicate that hegetotheres ate low-growing vegetables in open habitats. [13]

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References

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