| Taubatherium Temporal range: Late Oligocene ~ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | † Notoungulata |
| Family: | † Leontiniidae |
| Genus: | † Taubatherium Soria & Alvarenga 1989 |
| Type species | |
| †Taubatherium paulacoutoi Soria & Alvarenga, 1989 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Taubatherium is an extinct genus of mammal, belonging to the order Notoungulata. It lived during the Late Oligocene, in what is today Brazil, in South America.
Fossils of this animal indicates that it had a fairly robust build, but not as heavy as some of its relatives, Leontinia and Scarrittia . The robust body was supported by four relatively slender but strong limbs ; the dimensions of Taubatherium were typical of its family, as it was approximately 1.80 meters long and 80 centimeters high at the withers. It weighed between 280 and 350 kilograms, and its body mass would be equivalent to that of a modern horse.
Taubatherium was first described in 1983 by Carlos de Paula Couto, based on cranial and postcranial fragmentary remains found in the Tremembé Formation, near Taubaté, in Brazil. Paula Couto believed that the fossils belonged to the already existing genus Leontinia, and described the remains as Leontinia cf. gaudryi. In 1989, these remains were attributed to a new genus of notoungulates, Taubatherium. In addition to the type species, Taubatherium paulacoutoi, another species, T. major was described from the same formation and based on a single upper molar. This latter species is currently considered a synonym to the type species.
Taubatherium was a member of the family Leontiniidae, a group of heavy-built notoungulates that thrived during the Oligocene. Taubatherium seems to have been part of a tropical clade, also including Huilatherium and Colpodon .
Taubatherium was an herbivorous animal, with gregarious habits, who lived in herd near the ancient lake whose former basin constitutes the Tremembé Formation ; specimens with notable morphological differences, probably due to ontogenesis or sexual dimorphism, were preserved in the fossil records. [1]
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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.
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.
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.
Astrapotheria is an extinct order of South American and Antarctic hoofed mammals that existed from the late Paleocene to the Middle Miocene, 59 to 11.8 million years ago. Astrapotheres were large, rhinoceros-like animals and have been called one of the most bizarre orders of mammals with an enigmatic evolutionary history.
Paraphysornis is an extinct genus of giant flightless terror birds that inhabited Brazil during Late Oligocene or Early Miocene epochs. Although not the tallest phorusrhacid, Paraphysornis was a notably robust bird, having short and robust tarsal bones not suited for pursuit hunting.
The Deseadan age is a period of geologic time within the Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene to the Early Miocene epoch of the Neogene, used more specifically within the SALMA classification of South America. It follows the Tinguirirican and precedes the Colhuehuapian age.
Leontinia is an extinct genus of leontiniid notoungulate. Fossils have been found in the Deseado and Sarmiento Formations in Argentina and Trembembé Formation of Brazil, and are the most abundant remains of any animal found there. The genus dates back to the Late Oligocene, Deseadan in the SALMA classification.
Huilatherium is an extinct genus of leontiniid, a group of hoofed mammals belonging to the order Notoungulata, that comprises other South American ungulate families that evolved in parallel with some mammals of the Northern hemisphere. The leontiinids were a family of herbivorous species comprising medium to large browsers, with relatively short skulls and robust limbs, somewhat similar to their relatives, the best known toxodontids.
Gualta is an extinct genus of leontiniid notoungulates. It lived during the Late Oligocene of what is now Argentina.
Eomorphippus is an extinct genus of notohippid notoungulate that lived from the Late Eocene to the Early Oligocene in what is today South America.
Anayatherium is an extinct genus of notoungulate belonging to the family Leontiniidae. It lived during the Late Oligocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in 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.
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.
Coquenia is an extinct genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the family Leontiniidae. It lived during the Middle Eocene, in what is today Argentina.
Elmerriggsia is an extinct genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the family Leontiniidae. It lived during the Late Oligocene in South America.
Martinmiguelia is an extinct genus of Notoungulate, belonging to the family Leontiniidae. It lived during the Middle Eocene, and its fossil remains were found in South America.
Termastherium is an extinct genus of leontiniid notoungulates that lived during the Early Oligocene of what is now Chile. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Oligocene-aged Abanico Formation of Chile.
Colbertia is an extinct genus of oldfieldthomasiid notoungulate. It lived from the Early to the Middle Eocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in Argentina and Brazil.
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.
