monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...
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 ...
of
notoungulate
Notoungulata is an extinct order of mammalian ungulates that inhabited South America from the early Paleocene to the Holocene, living from approximately 61 million to 11,000 years ago. Notoungulates were morphologically diverse, with forms resemb ...
that lived in
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
Early Miocene
The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages.
The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...
. It was found in the Fray Bentos Formation, in rocks dated back from the Deseadan period.
The taxonomic status of ''Fiandraia'' has been historically disputed; in 1976, its discoverer, Roselli, assigned it in the family
Mesotheriidae
Mesotheriidae ("Middle Beasts") is an extinct family of notoungulate mammals known from the Oligocene through the Pleistocene of South America. Mesotheriids were small to medium-sized herbivorous mammals adapted for digging.
Characteristics
M ...
; in 1978, in Mones & Ubilla, it was considered part of
Interatheriidae
Interatheriidae is an extinct family of notoungulate mammals from South America. Interatheriids are known from the Middle Eocene (Mustersan) to the Early Pliocene (Montehermosan).McKenna & Bell, 1997Linares, 2004 These animals were principally ...
; McKenna & Bell, in 1997, placed it inside its own family, Fiandraiinae, itself part of
Mesotheriidae
Mesotheriidae ("Middle Beasts") is an extinct family of notoungulate mammals known from the Oligocene through the Pleistocene of South America. Mesotheriids were small to medium-sized herbivorous mammals adapted for digging.
Characteristics
M ...
; Flynn ''et al'' considered it, in 2005, as a member of the
Toxodontidae
Toxodontidae is an extinct family of notoungulate mammals, known from the Oligocene to the Holocene (11,000 BP) of South America, with one genus, ''Mixotoxodon'', also known from the Pleistocene of Central America and southwestern North America ...
instead of the
Mesotheriinae
Mesotheriidae ("Middle Beasts") is an extinct family of notoungulate mammals known from the Oligocene through the Pleistocene of South America. Mesotheriids were small to medium-sized herbivorous mammals adapted for digging.
Characteristics
M ...