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Macrauchenioidea
Litopterna (from grc, λῑτή πτέρνα "smooth heel") is an extinction, extinct order of fossil hoofed mammals from the Cenozoic era. The order is one of the five great orders of Meridiungulata, South American ungulates that were endemic to the continent, until the Great American Interchange, Great American Biotic Interchange brought new ungulate species. Like other Endemism, endemic South American mammals, their relationship to other mammal groups had long been unclear, but recent genetic and proteomic evidence indicates that their closest living relatives are Odd-toed ungulate, Perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates) including Equidae, horses, rhinoceros, and Tapir, tapirs, and that litopterns are closely related to Notoungulata, notoungulates, another widespread group of South American ungulates. There were two major groups of litopterns: Proterotheriidae and Macraucheniidae. Proterotheriids were medium to large animals that evolved adaptations for fast running, and occupied ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adianthidae
Adianthidae is an extinct family of Litopterna, litopterns that existed from the Middle Eocene (Mustersan) to the Early Miocene (Santacrucian). Description These Arboreal locomotion, scansorial, Viviparity, viviparous animals were actively mobile and were Herbivore, herbivores. They were small in size when compared to most litopterns. Most species did not exceed the size of a cat. Although small in size, the adianthids showed dental features that were already specialized even in the Oligocene genera. The molars were equipped with ridges, and the upper molars were provided with crescent-shaped Cusp (anatomy), metacones and Paracone, paracones, with a columnar parastyle and a very reduced or absent mesostyle. The lower fourth premolar was provided with a crested Molar (tooth), talonid, and the lower molars were double crescent-shaped or nearly so. The upper fourth premolar was molar-shaped, and the teeth from the third premolar to the upper third molar had three primary dimples and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macrauchenia
''Macrauchenia'' ("long llama", based on the now-invalid llama genus, ''Auchenia'', from Greek "big neck") was a large, long-necked and long-limbed, three-toed native South American mammal in the order Litopterna. The genus gives its name to its family, the Macraucheniidae or "robust litopterns". Like other litopterns, it is most closely related to the odd-toed ungulates ( Perissodactyla), from which litopterns diverged approximately 66 million years ago. The oldest fossils in the genus date to the late Miocene, around seven million years ago, and ''M. patachonica'' disappears from the fossil record during the late Pleistocene, around 20,000-10,000 years ago. ''M. patachonica'' is one of the last and best known member of the family and is known primarily from the Luján Formation in Argentina, but is known from localities across southern South America. Another genus of macraucheniid ''Xenorhinotherium'' was present in northeast Brazil and Venezuela during the Late Pleistocene. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Odd-toed Ungulate
Odd-toed ungulates, mammals which constitute the taxonomic order Perissodactyla (, ), are animals—ungulates—who have reduced the weight-bearing toes to three (rhinoceroses and tapirs, with tapirs still using four toes on the front legs) or one (equines, third toe) of the five original toes. The non-weight-bearing toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or positioned posteriorly. By contrast, the even-toed ungulates bear most of their weight equally on four or two (an even number) of the five toes: their third and fourth toes. Another difference between the two is that odd-toed ungulates digest plant cellulose in their intestines rather than in one or more stomach chambers as even-toed ungulates, with the exception of Suina, do. The order includes about 17 species divided into three families: Equidae (horses, asses, and zebras), Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceroses), and Tapiridae (tapirs). Despite their very different appearances, they were recognized as related families in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xenorhinotherium
''Xenorhinotherium'' is an extinct genus of macraucheniine macraucheniids, closely related to '' Macrauchenia'' of Patagonia. The type species is ''X. bahiense''.''Xenorhinotherium'' at .org Taxonomy Some authors consider the genus ''Xenorhinotherium'' a synonym of ''Macrauchenia'', while all others consider it a distinct genus. The name ''Xenorhinotherium'' means "Strange-Nosed Beast" and ''bahiense'' refers to the Brazilian state of , where the first fossils were found. ''Xenorhinotherium'' wa ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neolicaphrium
''Neolicaphrium'' is an extinct genus of ungulate mammal belonging to the extinct order Litopterna. This animal lived from the Late Pliocene (Chapadmalalan) to the Late Pleistocene (Lujanian) in southern South America, being the last survivor of the family Proterotheriidae. Species The genus includes two species, the type species ''N. recens'' and ''N. major''. The fossil found of ''N. major'', one jaw, come from the Miramar Formation in Chapadmalal, Argentina and correspond to the Chapadmalalan mammal age of South America (4.0 to 3.0 million years ago, in the Pliocene). ''N. recens'' appeared in the Ensenadan age (1.2-0.8 million years ago) and the species survived until the Lujanian age (800,000 and 11,000 years ago). Fossils of this species have been found in the Argentine provinces of the northeast, in Córdoba Province, Argentina, Córdoba, Corrientes Province, Corrientes, Tezzanos Pinto Formation, Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero Province, Santiago del E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macraucheniopsis
''Macraucheniopsis'' is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal belonging to the family Macraucheniidae from the Middle to Late Pleistocene of Argentina. It, along with ''Macrauchenia'', ''Neolicaphrium'', and ''Xenorhinotherium'' were among the youngest known genera of litopterns. Classification Cladogram based in the phylogenetic analysis In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ... published by Schmidt ''et al''., 2014, showing the position of ''Macraucheniopsis'': References {{Taxonbar, from=Q113946418 Macraucheniids Pleistocene mammals of South America Pleistocene Argentina Ensenadan Lujanian Fossils of Argentina Fossil taxa described in 1945 Prehistoric placental genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paraceratheriidae
Paraceratheriidae is an extinct family of long-limbed, hornless rhinocerotoids, commonly known as paraceratheres or indricotheres, that originated in the Eocene epoch and lived until the early Miocene. The first paraceratheres were only about the size of large dogs, growing progressively larger in the late Eocene and Oligocene. They were most common in the rainforest floodplain region which is now Kazakhstan, India, and southwest China, and lived further inland throughout northern and central Asia as well. The paraceratheres reached the peak of their evolution from the middle Oligocene to the early Miocene, where they became very large, herbivorous mammals. Most genera were about the size of modern draft horses and the extinct giant horse '' Equus giganteus'', with some growing significantly larger. The largest genus was ''Paraceratherium'', which was more than twice as heavy as a bull African elephant, and was one of the largest land mammals that ever lived. However, they remain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sivatherium
''Sivatherium'' ("Shiva's beast", from Shiva and ''therium'', Latinized form of Ancient Greek θηρίον -'' thēríon'') is an extinct genus of giraffids that ranged throughout Africa to the Indian subcontinent. The species ''Sivatherium giganteum'' is, by weight, one of the largest giraffid known, and also one of the largest ruminants of all time. ''Sivatherium'' originated during the Late Miocene (around 7 million years ago) in Africa and survived through to the late Early Pleistocene ( Calabrian) ''S. giganteum'' remains have been recovered from the Himalayan foothills, dating around 1 million years ago. Suggestions have been made that ''S. maurusium'' may have gone extinct as recently as 8,000 years ago, as depictions that resemble it are known from ancient rock paintings in the Sahara and Central West India. But these claims are not substantiated by fossil evidence, and the depictions likely represent other animals. Description ''Sivatherium'' resembled the modern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giraffidae
The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (one or more species of ''Giraffa'', depending on taxonomic interpretation) and the okapi (the only known species of ''Okapia''). Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered in skin, called ossicones. Taxonomy Evolutionary background The giraffids are ruminants of the clade Pecora. Other extant pecorans are the families Antilocapridae (pronghorns), Cervidae (deer), Moschidae (musk deer), and Bovidae (cattle, goats and sheep, wildebeests and allies, and antelopes). The exact interrelationships a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Camelidae
Camelids are members of the biological family Camelidae, the only currently living family in the suborder Tylopoda. The seven extant members of this group are: dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. Camelids are even-toed ungulates classified in the order Cetartiodactyla, along with species like whales, pigs, deer, cattle, and antelopes. Characteristics Camelids are large, strictly herbivorous animals with slender necks and long legs. They differ from ruminants in a number of ways.Fowler, M.E. (2010). ''Medicine and Surgery of Camelids'', Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell. Chapter 1 "General Biology and Evolution" addresses the fact that camelids (including camels and llamas) are not ruminants, pseudo-ruminants, or modified ruminants. Their dentition show traces of vestigial central incisors in the incisive bone, and the third incisors have developed into canine-like tusks. Camelids also have true canine teeth and tusk-lik ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chevrotain
Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only extant members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known only from fossils. The extant species are found in forests in South and Southeast Asia, with a single species, the water chevrotain, in the rainforests of Central and West Africa. They are solitary or live in pairs, and feed almost exclusively on plant material. Chevrotains are the smallest hoofed mammals in the world. The Asian species weigh between , while the African chevrotain is considerably larger at . With an average length of and an average height of , the Java mouse-deer is the smallest extant (living) ungulate or hoofed mammal, as well as the smallest extant even-toed ungulate. In November 2019, conservation scientists announced that they had photographed silver-backed chevrotains (''Tragulus versicolor'') in a Vietnamese for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pecora
Pecora is an infraorder of even-toed hoofed mammals with ruminant digestion. Most members of Pecora have cranial appendages projecting from their frontal bones; only two extant genera lack them, ''Hydropotes'' and ''Moschus''. The name “Pecora” comes from the Latin word ''pecus'', which means “horned livestock”.Bubenik, A. Epigenetical, Morphological, Physiological, and Behavioral Aspects of Evolution of Horns, Pronghorns, and Antlers. in ''Horns, Pronghorns, and Antlers''. G. Bubenik and A. Bubenik eds. Springer-Verlag. New York. 1990 Although most pecorans have cranial appendages, only some of these are properly called “horns”, and many scientists agree that these appendages did not arise from a common ancestor, but instead evolved independently on at least two occasions.Janis, C., K. Scott. The Interrelationships of Higher Ruminant Families with Special Emphasis on the Members of the Cervoidea. ''American Museum Novitates''. 2893: 1-85. 1987. http://digitallibrary. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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