Description
This animal is known from numerous fossils, sufficiently complete to reconstruct the general appearance of the creature. It was superficially similar to a modern prairie dog, or a slender marmot. Its body was approximately 30–40 centimeters long, excluding the tail.
Skull
The skull was short, broad, and high ; the temporal region and the tympanic bulla were enlarged. The dentition was complete, with incisor-shaped canines and without diastema. The premolars and molars were low-crowned (brachydont). The first upper incisor was well developed, and the first upper premolar was incisor-shaped. The other upper premolars were triangular in section and had a deep central dimple. The lower premolars were progressively more complex towards the posterior part of the mandible. The lower molars had a short anterior lobe and a posterior lobe with a well-developed entoconid.
Postcranial skeleton
Notopithecus had an agile and lithe body, with a long tail and four strong but slender limbs, allowing this animal to move rather quickly. The calcaneus had a rather short neck and the talus was characterized by a trapezoidal and asymmetrical trochlea, similar to Trachytherus , with a concave and smooth articular surface. Notopithecus also had a notable talar foramen, making its tarsus quite similar to other more specialized Typotheres, but still recalling in some way basal and archaic notoungulates, such as Colbertia , notably with the well-developed fibular tubercle of the calcaneus, in the lack of talar-cuboid contact and in the presence of a talar foramen. [1]
Description
Notopithecus was first described in 1897 by Florentino Ameghino, based on fossil remains found in Middle Eocene terrains of the Gran Barranca locality of the Sarmiento Formation in Argentina. The type species is Notopithecus adapinus, later uncovered in several other Middle Eocene sites elsewhere in Argentina. The species Adpithecus amplidens, from the Late Eocene, and described by Ameghino in 1901, was later attributed to the genus.
Notopithecus was initially considered as a basal primate by Ameghino, confusion still found in the genus name, "Notopithecus" meaning "Monkey of the South". Later, it was determined that it was a Notoungulate belonging to the suborder Typotheria, a group of mammals sharing similarities with rodents. Notopithecus was a member of the eponymous archaic subfamily Notopithecinae, and is usually nested as a basal member of the family Interatheriidae, a clade of typotheres that diversified mainly during the Oligocene and Miocene, giving rise to genera such as Interatherium , Protypotherium , Miocochilius and Cochilius . More recently, some studies tends to indicate that Notopithecus was nested, along with Transpithecus , within a different family, Notopithecidae, not including "true" interatheriids. [2]
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.
Interatherium is an extinct genus of interatheriid notoungulate from the Early to Middle Miocene (Colhuehuapian-Mayoan). Fossils have been found in the Santa Cruz, Collón Curá and Sarmiento Formations in Argentina.
Prosotherium is an extinct genus of hegetotheriid notoungulate. It lived during the Late Oligocene, and its fossilized remains were found in South America.
Henricosbornia is an extinct genus of henricosborniid notoungulate that lived from the Late Paleocene to the Middle Eocene of what is now Argentina and Brazil.
Eohyrax is an extinct genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the suborder Typotheria. It lived during the Middle Eocene, and its remains were discovered in South America.
Pseudhyrax is an extinct genus of archaeohyracid notoungulate. It lived from the Late Eocene to the Early Oligocene, of what is now South America.
Transpithecus is an extinct genus of Notoungulates, belonging to the suborder Typotheria. It lived during the Middle Eocene in what is today South America.
Argyrohippus is an extinct genus of notoungulate, belonging to the family Notohippidae. It lived from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene, and its fossilized remains were found in South America.
Propachyrucos is an extinct genus of hegetotheriid notoungulate. It lived from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene, in what is today South America.
Isotemnus is an extinct genus of notoungulate belonging to the family Isotemnidae. It lived from the Late Paleocene to the Middle Eocene of what is now Argentina.
Periphragnis is an extinct genus of isotemnid notoungulates that lived from the Middle Eocene to the Early Oligocene in what is now Argentina and Chile.
Pleurostylodon is an extinct genus of notoungulate belonging to the family Isotemnidae. It lived during the Middle Eocene, in what is now Argentina.
Morphippus is an extinct genus of notohippid notoungulate that lived during the Middle to Late Oligocene in what is now South America.
Ancylocoelus is an extinct genus of mammal, belonging to the order Notoungulata. It lived during the Late Oligocene, in what is today Argentina, in South America.
Archaeopithecus is an extinct genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the suborder Typotheria. It lived during the Middle Eocene, in what is today Argentina.
Oldfieldthomasia is an extinct genus of Notoungulate, probably related to the suborder Typotheria. It lived during the Middle Eocene, in what is today South America.
Ultrapithecus is an extinct genus of oldfieldthomasiid notoungulate that lived during the Middle Eocene of what is now Argentina.
Argyrohyrax is an extinct genus of interatheriid notoungulate that lived during the Late Oligocene, of what is now Argentina and Bolivia.
Santiagorothia is an extinct genus of interatheriid notoungulate. It lived during the Early Oligocene, and its fossils were discovered in Argentina and Chile.
Cochilius is an extinct genus of interatheriid notoungulate that lived between the Late Oligocene and the lower Miocene in what is now Argentina.
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