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Proticia Temporal range: Eocene ~ | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | † Pyrotheria |
Family: | † Colombitheriidae |
Genus: | † Proticia Patterson 1977 |
Type species | |
Proticia venezuelensis Patterson, 1977 | |
Species | |
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Proticia is an extinct genus of mammals belonging to the order Pyrotheria. It lived during the Early Eocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.
This animal is only known from a fragmentary mandible preserving several teeth, and it is therefore impossible to reconstruct its exact appearance.
Proticia's teeth had a bunodont structure, and their characteristic were similar to its enigmatic relative Colombitherium ; the molars and premolars, however, possessed more bulbous cusps and the lophids had disappeared.
Proticia venezuelensis was first described in 1977 by Bryan Patterson, based on an incomplete mandible preserving the third premolar and the first molar. It is likely that Proticia was similar to Colombitherium, another enigmatic large mammal from the South American Eocene, probably more recent. Patterson found the remains of Proticia in the Lara State of Venezuela, in soils probably belonging to the upper part of the Trujillo Formation (Lower Eocene). It is unclear, however, whether the fossils of Proticia also date back to the Early Eocene.
Leptictidium is an extinct genus of small mammals that were likely bipedal. Comprising eight species, they resembled today's bilbies, bandicoots, and elephant shrews, and occupied a similar niche. They are especially interesting for their combination of characteristics typical of primitive eutherians with highly specialized adaptations, such as powerful hind legs and a long tail which aided in locomotion. They were omnivorous, their diet a combination of insects, lizards, frogs, and small mammals. Leptictidium and other leptictids are not placentals, but are non-placental eutherians, although they are closely related to placental eutherians. They appeared in the Lower Eocene, a time of warm temperatures and high humidity, roughly fifty million years ago. Although they were widespread throughout Europe, they became extinct around thirty-five million years ago with no descendants, as they were adapted to live in forest ecosystems and were unable to adapt to the open plains of the Oligocene.
Pyrotherium is an extinct genus of South American ungulate, of the order Pyrotheria, that lived in what is now Argentina and Bolivia, during the Late Oligocene. It was named Pyrotherium because the first specimens were excavated from an ancient volcanic ash deposit. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Deseado and Sarmiento Formations of Argentina and the Salla Formation of Bolivia.
Altanius is a genus of extinct primates found in the early Eocene of Mongolia. Though its phylogenetic relationship is questionable, many have placed it as either a primitive omomyid or as a member of the sister group to both adapoids and omomyids. The genus is represented by one species, Altanius orlovi, estimated to weigh about 10–30 g (0.35–1.1 oz) from relatively well-known and complete dental and facial characteristics.
Carodnia is an extinct genus of South American ungulate known from the Early Eocene of Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Carodnia is placed in the order Xenungulata together with Etayoa and Notoetayoa.
Tillodontia is an extinct suborder of eutherian mammals known from the Early Paleocene to Late Eocene of China, the Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene of North America where they display their maximum species diversity, the Middle Eocene of Pakistan, and the Early Eocene of Europe. Leaving no descendants, they are most closely related to the pantodonts, another extinct group. The tillodonts were medium- to large-sized animals that probably fed on roots and tubers in temperate to subtropical habitats.
Llanocetus is a genus of extinct toothed baleen whales from the Late Eocene of Antarctica. The type species, Llanocetus denticrenatus, reached gigantic proportions, with the juvenile specimen reaching an estimated 8 m (26 ft) in length; a second, unnamed species, known only from three isolated premolar teeth, reached an estimated total body length of up to 12 m (39 ft). Like other contemporary baleen whales of the Eocene, Llanocetus completely lacked baleen in its jaws. It was probably a suction feeder like the modern beaked and pygmy right whales.
Colombitherium is an extinct mammal from Late Eocene Colombia. It has originally been assigned to the order Pyrotheria and the family Colombitheriidae, although a later detailed analysis of the fossil questions that classification. A fossil jawbone of approximately 9 centimetres (3.5 in) length of Colombitherium has been found by Texas Petroleum in 1945, in the Upper Eocene strata of the middle Gualanday Group in the department of Tolima, Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes.
Megadolodus is an extinct genus of proterotheriid litopterns.
Ernestokokenia is an extinct genus of mammal, belonging to the Didolodontidae. It lived during the Early Eocene and the Middle Eocene, and its fossils were discovered in South America.
Baguatherium is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammal, belonging to the order Pyrotheria. It lived during the Early Oligocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in Peru.
Propyrotherium is an extinct genus of mammals, belonging to the order Pyrotheria. It lived during the Late Eocene, 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.
Adiantoides is an extinct genus of herbivorous mammal, belonging to the order Litopterna. It lived during the Middle to Late Eocene, in South America.
Anisolambda is an extinct genus of litoptern. It lived from the Late Paleocene to the Middle Eocene in what is now Argentina.
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.
Eomorphippus is an extinct genus of notohippid notoungulate that lived from the Late Eocene to the Early Oligocene in what is today 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.
Dolichostylodon is an extinct species of mammal, belonging to the order Notoungulata. It lived during the Middle Eocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.
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.
Rosendo is an extinct genus of notohippid notoungulates that lived during the Early Oligocene in what is now Argentina and Chile. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Sarmiento Formation and the Abanico Formations of Argentina and Chile.