Patriarchus Temporal range: Early Miocene ~ | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | † Notoungulata |
Family: | † Interatheriidae |
Subfamily: | † Interatheriinae |
Genus: | † Patriarchus Ameghino, 1889 |
Type species | |
†Patriarchus palmidens Ameghino, 1889 |
Patriarchus is an extinct genus of interatheriid notoungulates that lived during the Early Miocene in what is now Argentina. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Santa Cruz Formation of Argentina.
It was a small-sized animal, approximately 40 centimeters long, excluding the tail. Its body shape vaguely resembled a rabbit or a marmot, and its head ended in a pointed muzzle. Patriarchus shared many similarities with Protypotherium , with which it is often confused with, and differed from it through certain characteristics of its teeth. The first lower incisor and the lower canine were expanded in their terminal part, labially convex and similar in shape and size; they had a short lingual sulcus, not extending to the base of the teeth and V-shaped in occlusal view. The first lower premolar was bilobed, with a trigonid larger than the thalonid. The inferior dental series between the first incisor and the first premolar was continuous and the teeth did not overlap. [1]
Patriarchus palmidens was first described in 1889 by Florentino Ameghino based on fossilized remains found in Early Miocene terrains from Rio Bote locality of the Santa Cruz Formation in southern Patagonia. Ameghino described several other species belonging to the genus, Patriarchus diastematus, P. furculosus, P. icochiloides, P. leptocephalus and P. rectus, but in 1900 the genus was synonymized with a Protypotherium . In 2019 a cladistic analysis revealed sufficient differences between the type species Patriarchus palmidens and Protypotherium to allow the re-establishment of the genus Patriarchus. According to this study, the genus Patriarchus includes only the type species and is a derived member of the family Interatheriidae, closely related with Miocochilius ; this clade being the sister group of another clade comprising Cochilius and Interatherium . [2]
Hapalops is an extinct genus of ground sloth from the Early to Late Miocene of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and Argentina in South America.
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.
Patagornis is a genus of extinct flightless predatory birds of the family Phorusrhacidae. Known as "terror birds", these lived in what is now Argentina during the Early and Middle Miocene; the Santa Cruz Formation in Patagonia contains numerous specimens. Patagornis was an agile, medium sized Patagornithine and was likely a pursuit predator.
Psilopterus is an extinct genus of phorusrhacid from the Middle Oligocene to possibly the Late Pleistocene of Argentina and Uruguay. Compared to other phorusrhacids, members of the genus are both relatively gracile and diminutive, and include the smallest known species of terror bird: with the head raised P. bachmanni was 70–80 centimeters (2.3–2.6 ft) in height and weighed about 5 kilograms (11 lb), while the largest members of the genus were only about 8 kilograms (18 lb). The birds resemble the modern cariama, except with a heavier build and considerably smaller wings. Fossil finds in Uruguay indicate the genus may have survived until 96,040 ± 6,300 years ago, millions of years after the larger phorusrhacids became extinct.
Propalaehoplophorus, also written as Propalaeohoplophorus, is an extinct genus of glyptodont, which lived in South America during the Early Miocene epoch.
Stegotherium is an extinct genus of long-nosed armadillo, belonging to the Dasypodidae family alongside the nine-banded armadillo. It is currently the only genus recognized as a member of the tribe Stegotheriini. It lived during the Early Miocene of Patagonia and was found in Colhuehuapian rocks from the Sarmiento Formation, Santacrucian rocks from the Santa Cruz Formation, and potentially also in Colloncuran rocks from the Middle Miocene Collón Curá Formation. Its strange, almost toothless and elongated skull indicates a specialization for myrmecophagy, the eating of ants, unique among the order Cingulata, which includes pampatheres, glyptodonts and all the extant species of armadillos.
Paedotherium is an extinct, potentially paraphyletic genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the family Hegetotheriidae, composed of small-sized, rodent or lagomorph-like South American ungulates. Four species are unambiguously recognized, from the Late Miocene to the Pleistocene of Argentina, and from the late Miocene of Bolivia and Chile.
Prosotherium is an extinct genus of late Oligocene hegetotheriid notoungulate. It has been found in two Argentinian fossil formations, ie, the Sarmiento Formation in Chubut Province, and the Agua de la Piedra Formation in Mendoza Province.
Astrapothericulus is an extinct genus of mammals, belonging to the order Astrapotheria. It lived during the Lower Miocene in what is now South America.
Adianthus is an extinct genus of litoptern that lived during the Early Miocene to the Middle Miocene in what is now Argentina and Chile.
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.
Trachytherus is an extinct genus of mesotheriid notoungulate that lived from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene in what is now South America.
Pleurostylodon is an extinct genus of notoungulate belonging to the family Isotemnidae. It lived during the Middle Eocene, in what is now Argentina.
Colpodon is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammal, belonging to the order Notoungulata. It lived during the Early Miocene, in what is today Argentina and Chile, 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.
Argyrohyrax is an extinct genus of interatheriid notoungulate that lived during the Late Oligocene, of what is now Argentina and Bolivia.
Cochilius is an extinct genus of interatheriid notoungulate that lived between the Late Oligocene and the lower Miocene in what is now Argentina.
Notopithecus is an extinct genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the suborder Typotheria. It lived from the Middle to the Late Eocene and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.
Cochlops is an extinct genus of glyptodont. It lived from the Early to Middle Miocene, and its fossilized remains have been found in South America.