Notopithecidae

Notopithecidae Temporal range: Paleocene–Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Notopithecus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	† Notoungulata
Suborder:	† Typotheria
Family:	† Notopithecidae Ameghino, 1897
Species
† Notopithecus † Eupithecops † Guilielmoscottia † Antepithecus † Transpithecus

Notopithecidae is a family of typotherine notoungulates known from Paleogene deposits of the San Juan Formation, Argentina. ^[1] The name of the clade derives from an error, Florentino Ameghino assumed the namesake of the family, Notopithecus , was a primate. ^[2]

Description

Notopithecids had low crowned teeth and relatively underived dentition when compared to later typotheres. They had brachyodont molars. ^[3] They most likely walked plantigrade, indicated by an astragalar foramen and a shallow and asymmetric trochela. ^[4]

Classification

Notopithecidae has had some debate as to whether it is even a valid family, occasionally being placed within Interatheriidae. ^[5] However, most literature supports Notopithecidae being its own family. ^{[1] [3]}

References

1. Scott, William Berryman; Scott, William Berryman (1913). A history of land mammals in the Western Hemisphere; illustrated with 32 plates and more than 100 drawings. New York: Macmillan.
2. Hitz, Ralph B.; Hitz, Ralph B.; Flynn, John J.; Wyss, André R. (2006). New basal Interatheriidae (Typotheria, Notoungulata, Mammalia) from the Paleogene of central Chile. New York, NY: American Museum of Natural History.
3. Scarano, Alejo C.; Vera, Bárbara (2018). "Geometric morphometric analysis as a proxy to evaluate age-related change in molar shape variation of low-crowned Notoungulata (Mammalia)". Journal of Morphology. 279 (2): 216–227. doi:10.1002/jmor.20766. hdl: 11336/42192 . ISSN   1097-4687.
4. Vera, Bárbara (2012). "Postcranial Morphology of Notopithecus Ameghino, 1897 (notoungulata, Interatheriidae) from the Middle Eocene of Patagonia, Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (5): 1135–1148. ISSN   0272-4634.
5. "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-09-05.