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Macraucheniidae
Macraucheniidae is a family in the extinct South American ungulate order Litopterna, that resembled various camelids. The reduced nasal bones of their skulls was originally suggested to have housed a small proboscis, similar to that of the saiga antelope. However, one study suggested that they were openings for large moose-like nostrils. Conversely, prehistoric pictographs by indigenous people seems to depict animals interpreted as macraucheniids with trunks. Their hooves were similar to those of rhinoceroses today, with a simple ankle joint and three digits on each foot. Thus, they may have been capable of rapid directional change when running away from predators, such as large phorusrhacid terror birds, sparassodont metatherians, giant short-faced bears ('' Arctotherium)'' and saber-toothed cats (''Smilodon ''Smilodon'' is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the felids. It is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals and the best known saber-toothed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scalabrinitherium
''Scalabrinitherium'' is an extinct genus of mammals of the family Macraucheniidae. Fossils of this animal were found among the fossils of prehistoric xenarthrans in the Ituzaingó Formation of Argentina.''Scalabrinitherium'' at Fossilworks.org Description This animal was rather similar to a with a slightly heavy build; the was long and low, the front teeth were slightly spatulate, and the nasal aperture set far back. It is possible that there was a strong prehens ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polymorphis
''Polymorphis'' is an extinct genus of litopterns belonging to the family Macraucheniidae. It lived during the Middle Eocene of Argentina. Taxonomy The type species of ''Polymorphis'' is ''Polymorphis lechei''. Both the genus and the species were named by Santiago Roth in 1899. The lectotype of ''P. lechei'' is the left half of a mandible with teeth. Two other species, ''Megacrodon planus'' and "''Lambdaconus''" ''alius'', have been previously assigned to ''Polymorphis'', but are poorly known and may not belong to the genus. ''Megacrodon'', ''Polyacrodon'' (which has the junior objective synonym ''Oroacrodon''), ''Decaconus'', and ''Periacrodon'' have been considered synonyms of ''Polymorphis''. ''Polymorphis'' is the most basal member of Macraucheniidae. It is considered to be either part of the paraphyletic subfamily Cramaucheniinae, or in a monotypic subfamily of its own, Polymorphinae. ''Polymorphis'' is known from the Eocene of Argentina, belonging to the Mustersan Sout ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Litopterna
Litopterna (from grc, λῑτή πτέρνα "smooth heel") is an extinct order of fossil hoofed mammals from the Cenozoic era. The order is one of the five great orders of South American ungulates that were endemic to the continent, until the Great American Biotic Interchange brought new ungulate species. Like other 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 Perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates) including horses, rhinoceros, and tapirs, and that litopterns are closely related to 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 a variety of niches that elsewhere were filled by animals such as goats and antelopes, mouse deer, and h ... [...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] |
Macraucheniinae
Macraucheniinae is a extinct subfamily of macraucheniids that lived from the Late Miocene and potentially the Early Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togeth ..., consisting of all the derived genera. Classification Below is a cladogram proposed by Schmidt ''et al''., (2014), showing the phylogenetic relationships between the genera of macraucheniines: References {{Taxonbar, from=Q134960 Macraucheniids Prehistoric animal subfamilies Pleistocene mammals of South America Neogene mammals of South America Messinian first appearances Holocene extinctions ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cramaucheniinae
Cramaucheniinae is a paraphyletic subfamily of macraucheniids that originated in the middle Eocene (Mustersan SALMA). The size range of the group ranged from small, basal forms to larger and more derived forms. During their evolution, the cramaucheniines undergone a trend from evolving from small basal forms such as '' Polymorphis'' into larger, more derived taxa such as ''Theosodon ''Theosodon'' is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal from the Early to Middle Miocene of South America. Description ''Theosodon'' was long-legged with a long neck resembling modern llamas or guanacos. It was large for a litoptern, reaching ...''. References Macraucheniids Paleogene mammals of South America Neogene mammals of South America Mammal subfamilies Lutetian first appearances Serravallian extinctions Paraphyletic groups {{Paleo-mammal-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theosodon
''Theosodon'' is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal from the Early to Middle Miocene of South America. Description ''Theosodon'' was long-legged with a long neck resembling modern llamas or guanacos. It was large for a litoptern, reaching up to in length and weighing up to . It had a long neck and tapir-like, three-toed feet, and like other litopterns and modern horses, tapirs and rhinos, it bore its weight on its middle toes. Extraordinarily, rather than having nostrils at the front of its head, ''Theosodon'' had its nostrils on the top of its snout, halfway between the forehead and the tip of the snout, and its nostrils pointed upwards rather than forwards, possibly as an adaptation for browsing on prickly vegetation. History and species ''Theosodon'' has been known since the 19th century, and by 1910 seven species had been described within the genus, all from the early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation in Argentina. The name ''Theosodon'' means "god tooth". The first fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arctotherium
''Arctotherium'' ("''bear beast''") is an extinct genus of the Pleistocene short-faced bears endemic to Central and South America. ''Arctotherium'' migrated from North America to South America during the Great American Interchange, following the formation of the Isthmus of Panama during the late Pliocene. The genus consists of one early giant form, ''A. angustidens'', and several succeeding smaller species, which were within the size range of modern bears. ''Arctotherium'' was adapted to open and mixed habitat. They are genetically closer to the spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus''), than to ''Arctodus'' of North America, implying the two extinct forms evolved large size in a convergent manner, perhaps to facilitate dominating other carnivores in the competition for the biggest carcasses. Evolution Tremarctinae ''Arctotherium'' is part of the Tremarctinae subfamily of bears, otherwise known as the short faced bears, which also includes ''Arctodus'' (North American ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Llullataruca
''Llullataruca'' is an extinct genus of macraucheniid litoptern. It lived during the Middle Miocene of what is now Bolivia. Etymology The genus name, ''Llullataruca,'' is derived from the Quechua words ''llulla'' meaning "false", "lie" or "deceitful", and taruca, meaning "deer", an indigenous language of the Quebrada Honda region, which refers to the presumed habits of the small-to mid-sized macraucheniids as cursorial browsers or mixed feeders, a niche filled today in many parts of the world, including southern Bolivia, by cervids. The species name, ''shockeyi'' honors of Bruce Shockey for his endless efforts to improve knowledge of Cenozoic mammals in Bolivia and his many insights that have improved other scientists understanding of the paleobiology of native South American ungulates, including macraucheniids. Description This animal is known only from incomplete remains, mainly a jaw with teeth, but from comparison with better known similar animals, such as ''Cramauche ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhinoceros
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species of the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea.) Two of the extant species are native to Africa, and three to South and Southeast Asia. Rhinoceroses are some of the largest remaining megafauna: all weigh at least one tonne in adulthood. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains (400–600 g) for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick (1.5–5 cm), protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths; they rely instead on their lips t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually). It is distinct from scavenging on dead prey, though many predators also scavenge; it overlaps with herbivory, as seed predators and destructive frugivores are predators. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often concealed. When prey is detected, the predator assesses whether to attack it. This may involve ambush or pursuit predation, sometimes after stalking the prey. If the attack is successful, the predator kills the prey, removes any inedible parts like the shell or spines, and eats it. Predators are adapted and often highly specialized for hunting, with acute senses such as vision, hearing, or smell. Many predatory animals, both vertebrate an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phorusrhacidae
Phorusrhacids, colloquially known as terror birds, are an extinct clade of large carnivorous flightless birds that were one of the largest species of apex predators in South America during the Cenozoic era; their conventionally accepted temporal range covers from 62 to 0.1 million years ( Ma) ago. They ranged in height from . Their closest modern-day relatives are believed to be the seriemas. '' Titanis walleri'', one of the larger species, is known from Texas and Florida in North America. This makes the phorusrhacids the only known large South American predator to migrate north in the Great American Interchange that followed the formation of the Isthmus of Panama land bridge (the main pulse of the interchange began about 2.6 Ma ago; ''Titanis'' at 5 Ma was an early northward migrant). It was once believed that ''T. walleri'' became extinct in North America around the time of the arrival of humans, but subsequent datings of ''Titanis'' fossils provided no evidence for their surv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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