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Extinct genus of mammals
Astrapotherium Temporal range:
Early Miocene–Middle Miocene
Skull of Astrapotherium magnum
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
†
Astrapotheria
Family:
†
Astrapotheriidae
Subfamily:
†
Astrapotheriinae
Genus:
†
Astrapotherium
Burmeister , 1879
Type species
† Astrapotherium magnum
Species
† A. burmeisteri Mercerat, 1891
† A. guillei Kramarz et al . 2019
[1]
† A. magnum Owen, 1853
† A. ruderarium Ameghino, 1902
Synonyms
Listriotherium Mercerat 1891
Mesembriotherium Moreno 1882
Xylotherium Mercerat 1891
Synonyms of A. burmeisteri
Astrapotherium giganteum Ameghino, 1891
Astrapotherium delimitatum Ameghino, 1891
Astrapotherium columnatum Ameghino, 1891
Astrapotherium nanum Ameghino, 1891
Astrapotherium karaikense Ameghino, 1904b
Astrapodon carinatus Ameghino, 1891
Synonyms of A. ruderarium
Parastrapotherium paucum Ameghino 1902
Parastrapotherium crassum (partim) Ameghino 1902
Astrapothericulus minusculus Ameghino 1902
Astrapothericulus laevisculus Ameghino 1902
Astrapotherium triangulidens Ameghino 1902
Prochalicotherium patagonicum Ameghino 1902
Astrapotherium ("lightning beast") is an extinct
genus of large
astrapotherian ungulate native to South America during the early-middle
Miocene . It is the best known member of the group. The type species. A. magnus have been found in the
Santa Cruz Formation in
Argentina . Other fossils have been found in the
Deseado ,
Sarmiento , and
Aisol Formations of Argentina and
Chile (
Cura-Mallín Group ).
[2]
Description
Restoration and size comparison of A. magnus
Astrapotherium had an elongated body, with a total length around 2.5 m (8.2 ft), a weight of nearly 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), and relatively short limbs.
[3] Larger estimates suggest its body mass was up to 1,600–3,500 kilograms (3,500–7,700 lb).
[4] It had small
plantigrade feet, and the hind limbs were significantly weaker than the fore limbs. Its four canine teeth were elongated to form short tusks, and it had broad, protruding lower incisors, which likely ground against a horny pad in the upper jaw, as in many modern
ruminants .
[3]
Canine tooth of A. magnus at the
Museum für Naturkunde , Berlin
Astrapotherium has been inferred to have had a tapir-like
proboscis , based on its retracted narials and short upper jaw.
[5]
Classification
Cladogram based in the
phylogenetic analysis published by Vallejo-Pareja et al ., 2015, showing the position of Astrapotherium :
[6]
Paleobiology
The animal was probably at least partially aquatic, living in shallow water and feeding on marsh plants in a similar manner to a modern
hippopotamus .
[3]
References
^ Alejandro Kramarz; Alberto Garrido; Mariano Bond (2019).
"Astrapotherium from the Middle Miocene Collón Cura Formation and the decline of astrapotheres in southern South America" . Ameghiniana . in press. Archived from
the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2019-07-24 .
^
Astrapotherium at
Fossilworks .org
^
a
b
c Palmer, Douglas, ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals . London: Marshall Editions. p. 248.
ISBN
1-84028-152-9 .
^ Kramarz, Alejandro G.; Bond, Mariano (2008).
"Revision of Parastrapotherium (Mammalia, Astrapotheria) and other Deseadan astrapotheres of Patagonia" .
Ameghiniana . 45 (3).
^ Milewski, Antoni V.; Dierenfeld, Ellen S. (March 2013).
"Structural and functional comparison of the proboscis between tapirs and other extant and extinct vertebrates" . Integrative Zoology . 8 (1): 84–94.
doi :
10.1111/j.1749-4877.2012.00315.x .
PMID
23586563 .
^ Vallejo-Pareja, M. C.; Carrillo, J. D.; Moreno-Bernal, J. W.; Pardo-Jaramillo, M.; Rodriguez-Gonzalez, D. F.; Muñoz-Duran, J. (January 2015).
"Hilarcotherium castanedaii , gen. et sp. nov., a new Miocene astrapothere (Mammalia, Astrapotheriidae) from the Upper Magdalena Valley, Colombia" (PDF) .
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 35 (2): e903960.
Bibcode :
2015JVPal..35E3960V .
doi :
10.1080/02724634.2014.903960 .
S2CID
130728894 .
Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2019 – via the
Colombian Geological Survey .
External links