''Baguatherium'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpar ...

mammal, belonging to the order

Pyrotheria Pyrotheria is an order of extinct meridiungulate mammals. These mastodon-like ungulates include the genera ''Baguatherium'', ''Carolozittelia'', ''Colombitherium'', ''Griphodon'', ''Propyrotherium'', ''Proticia'', and '' Pyrotherium''. They had ...

. It lived during the Early Oligocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

Description

Although the fossils known are very partial (a

maxilla The maxilla (plural: ''maxillae'' ) in vertebrates is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. T ...

, a left

femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates wit ...

, isolated

molars The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone to ...

, they allow a comparison with those of similar animals better known, such as ''

Pyrotherium ''Pyrotherium'' ('fire beast') 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.proboscidean The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. From ...

s or modern

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...

s. Compared to ''Pyrotherium'', ''Baguatherium'' possessed a slightly wider palate and the ridges on the molariform teeth were less oblique. A notable lingual crest connecting the posterior and anterior crests of those teeth was also present. The nasal bones, as in ''Pyrotherium'', were set back and indicate the presence of a

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

Classification

''Baguatherium jaureguii'' was first described in 2006, based on fossilized remains found near

Bagua Grande Bagua Grande is a town in northern Peru, capital of Utcubamba Province, in the region Amazonas. It has an estimated 42,396 inhabitants, having changed from a rural to an urban area after experiencing much immigration in the 1960s. It is called by ...

, in the Department of Amazonas of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, in rocks belonging to the El Milagro Formation. The fossils indicates that it was a member of

, a clade of large sized mammals from the South American Eocene and Oligocene. In particular, the dental characteristics indicate that ''Baguatherium'' was a member of the Pyrotheriidae family, characterized by bilophodont teeth with high ridges.

Paleobiology

A study on the dental wear of this animal and of other pyrotheres indicate that ''Baguatherium'' fed on tough materials, who were crushed thanks to the large molariform teeth. It is possible that the adaptations of its dentition were dictated by the expansion, during the Oligocene, of open environments, characterized by tougher plants.R. Salas, J. Sánchez, and C. Chacaltana. 2006. A new Pre-Deseadan Pyrothere (Mammalia) from northern Peru and the wear facets of molariform teeth of Pyrotheria. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(3):760-769

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q55760745 Meridiungulata Oligocene mammals of South America Paleogene Peru Fossils of Peru Fossil taxa described in 2006 Prehistoric placental genera