Thoatherium

Thoatherium Temporal range: Early Miocene (Santacrucian) ~17.5–16.3  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
1901 T. minusculum skeletal illustration
1913 T. minusculum illustration, by Charles R. Knight.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	† Litopterna
Family:	† Proterotheriidae
Subfamily:	† Proterotheriinae
Genus:	† Thoatherium Ameghino 1887
Type species
†Thoatherium minusculum Ameghino, 1887
Species
T. bilobatumAmeghino 1904 T. karaikenseAmeghino 1904 T. minusculumAmeghino 1887 T. rhabdodonAmeghino 1894 T. velatumAmeghino 1904
Synonyms
Genus synonymy OreomeryxMercerat, 1891 RhagodonAmeghino, 1891 DiaphragmodonMercerat, 1893 T. minisculum Proterotherium cavum Ameghino, 1887 Rhagodon gracilis Ameghino, 1891 Thoatherium crepidatum Ameghino, 1891 Anisolophus burmeisteri Mercerat, 1891 Oreomeryx proprius Mercerat, 1891 Oreomyx superbus Mercerat, 1891 Diaphragmodon cavum (Ameghino, 1887) Mercerat, 1893 Diaphragmodon burmeisteri (Mercerat, 1891) Mercerat, 1893

Thoatherium (meaning "active swift-beast") is an extinct genus of litoptern mammals from the Early Miocene of Argentina. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Santa Cruz Formation in Argentina. ^[1]

Description

T. minusculum (=T. crepidatum) skull cast. At the AMNH.

With a length of 70 centimetres (2.3 ft), the gazelle-like Thoatherium was a small representative of the order Litopterna. Judging from its long legs, it was a fast runner. Thoatherium had remarkably reduced toes; only one horse-like hoof remained. Thoatherium even lacked splint bones, which are remnants of the second and fourth toe found in modern horses. Judging from its generalised, brachydont teeth, Thoatherium fed on soft leaves rather than on tough grasses. ^{[2] [3]}

T. minisculum right foot, showing the presence of only a single toe.

References

• Argentina portal
• Paleontology portal
• Prehistoric mammals portal

1. Thoatherium at Fossilworks.org
2. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 247. ISBN   1-84028-152-9.
3. Darin A. Croft, Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys: The Fascinating Fossil Mammals of South America, Indiana University Press, 29/08/2016