Moqueguahippus

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Moqueguahippus
Temporal range: Late Oligocene (Deseadan)
~28.4–23.03  Ma
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Notoungulata
Family: Notohippidae
Genus: Moqueguahippus
Shockey et al. 2006
Species:
M. glycisma
Binomial name
Moqueguahippus glycisma
Shockey et al., 2006

Moqueguahippus is an extinct genus of notohippid notoungulates that lived during the Late Oligocene of what is now Peru. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Moquegua Formation of Peru, which it was named after. [1] [2]

Contents

Etymology

The genus name, Moqueguahippus, refers to the Moquegua Formation where it was discovered, and -hippus meaning "horse", an epithet used to describe most notohippids. The specific name, glycisma, is derived from the Greek word Glykisma, meaning "cake", in reference to the type locality, Pan de Azucar, meaning "Sugarloaf Mountain". [1]

Description

Moqueguahippus is a relatively large notohippid. Its skull was rather massive and had a short muzzle. The dentition was complete and continuous, lacking a diastema, and the premolars and molars were high-crowned (hypsodont), like in its relative Rhynchippus . The premolars had a well developed cingulum, while the molars were elongated. The shape of the premolars and molars was reminiscent to those of Equidae. Moqueguahippus, like its relatives, may have had a robust body with slender limbs. Its most peculiar distinctive characteristics were the cup-shaped internal cingula and the lack of cingula on the premolars, and a thick layer of cementum. [1] [3]

Taxonomy

Moqueguahippus was first described in 2006, based on fossilized remains found in the Moquegua Formation in Peru, in deposits dating to the Late Oligocene. Moqueguahippus was placed within the family Notohippidae, a family of toxodont notoungulates with horse-like teeth, with very high-crowned molars. More recent research, however, suggests that this group is paraphyletic, containing increasingly derived forms, some of them close to the ancestors of "true" Toxodontidae. In 2021, it was found to be a derived notohippid, being the sister taxon of a clade including the Miocene genera Argyrohippus and Notohippus . [4]

The following position of the Toxodontia is based on Martínez et al. 2021, showing the position of Moqueguahippus. [4]

Toxodontia

Pluerostylodon modicus

Anisotemnus distentus

Periphragnis harmeri

Thomashuxleya externa

Pampahippus arenalesi

Plexotemnus complicatissimus

Puelia coarctatus

Pampahippus secundus

Pampahippus powelli

Pampatemnus infernalis

Homalodotheriidae

Homalodotherium cunninghami

Asmodeus osbornii

Eutoxodontia
Leontiniidae

Gualta cuyana

Coquenia bondi

Leontinia gaudryi

Scarrittia canquelensis

Pascualihippus boliviensis

Eomorphippus bondi

Eomorphippus obscurus

Rosendo pascuali

Eomorphippus neilopdykei

Morphippus imbricatus

Eurygenium latirostris

Eurygenium pacegnum

Patagonhippus canterensis

Patagonhippus dukei

Teushentherium camaronensis

Mendozahippus fierensis

Rhynchippus pumilus

Rhynchippus equinus

Rhynchippus brasiliensis

Moqueguahippus glycisma

Argyrohippus fraterculus

Argyrohippus praecox

Notohippus toxodontoides

Toxodontidae

Adinotherium ovinum

Nesodon imbricatus

Toxodon platensis

Posnanskytherium desaquaderoi

"Isotemnidae"
Paranotohippids
"Isotemnidae"
"Notohippidae"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxodontia</span> Extinct suborder of mammals

Toxodontia is a suborder of the meridiungulate order Notoungulata. Most of the members of the five included families, including the largest notoungulates, share several dental, auditory and tarsal specializations. The group is named after Toxodon, the first example of the group to be discovered by science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrotheria</span> Extinct order of mammals

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrotheriidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

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<i>Peltephilus</i> An extinct genus of mammals belonging to the armadillo order of xenarthrans

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<i>Protypotherium</i> Extinct genus of notoungulates

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

<i>Rhynchippus</i> Extinct genus of notoungulates

Rhynchippus is an extinct genus of notoungulate mammals from the Late Oligocene of South America. The genus was first described by Florentino Ameghino in 1897 and the type species is R. equinus, with lectotype MACN A 52–31. Fossils of Rhynchippus have been found in the Agua de la Piedra and Sarmiento Formations of Argentina, the Salla and Petaca Formations of Bolivia, the Tremembé Formation of Brazil, and the Moquegua Formation of Peru.

<i>Cramauchenia</i> Extinct genus of litoptern South American ungulate

Cramauchenia is an extinct genus of litoptern South American ungulate. Cramauchenia was named by Florentino Ameghino. The name has no literal translation. Instead, it is an anagram of the name of a related genus Macrauchenia. This genus was initially discovered in the Sarmiento Formation in the Chubut Province, in Argentina, and later it was found in the Chichinales Formation in the Río Negro Province and the Cerro Bandera Formation in Neuquén, also in Argentina, in sediments assigned to the SALMA Colhuehuapian, as well as the Agua de la Piedra Formation in Mendoza, in sediments dated to the Deseadan. In 1981 Soria made C. insolita a junior synonym of C. normalis. A specimen of C. normalis was described in 2010 from Cabeza Blanca in the Sarmiento Formation, in sediments assigned to the Deseadan SALMA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notohippidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesotheriidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarmiento Formation</span> Geologic formation in Chubut Province, Argentina

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Shockey, Bruce J.; Salas, Rodolfo; Quispe, Rossana; Flores, Alexander; Sargis, Eric J.; Acosta, Jorge; Pino, Adan; Jarica, Nestor J.; Urbina, Mario (2006-03-30). "Discovery of Deseadan fossils in the upper Moquegua Formation (late Oligocene—?early Miocene) of southern Peru". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 26 (1): 205–208. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[205:DODFIT]2.0.CO;2. ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   85593383.
  2. Shockey, Bruce J.; Gismondi, Rodolfo Salas; Gans, Phillip; Jeong, Annie; Flynn, John J. (2009). "Paleontology and Geochronology of the Deseadan (late Oligocene) of Moquegua, Perú". American Museum Novitates (3668): 1–24. doi: 10.1206/662.1 . ISSN   0003-0082.
  3. Cerdeño, Esperanza; Vera, Bárbara (2014-06-07). "New data on diversity of Notohippidae from the Oligocene of Mendoza, Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (4): 941–950. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34..941C. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.837054. hdl: 11336/32354 . ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   85991987.
  4. 1 2 Martínez, Gastón; Dozo, María T.; Gelfo, Javier N.; Ciancio, Martín R.; González-José, Rolando (2021-02-11). "A new toxodont (Mammalia, Panperissodactyla, Notoungulata) from the Oligocene of Patagonia, Argentina, and systematic considerations on the paraphyletic 'Notohippidae'". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (24): 1995–2013. doi:10.1080/14772019.2021.1872723. ISSN   1477-2019. S2CID   232116246.