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''Paratapirus'' is an extinct genus of tapir known from the Late Oligocene and
''Paratapirus'' was among the earliest known tapirs, and probably evolved from '' Protapirus'' which had migrated into
Early Miocene
The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages.
The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma to 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). It was p ...
of Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
.
Taxonomy
Two species are considered valid: *''P. helveticus'' *''P. intermedius'' The species ''P. moguntiacus'' and ''P. robustus'' are considered synonyms of ''P. intermedius''. Members of this genus were originally described under the name ''Palaeotapirus'' along with several other tapir genera, but that name is now considered abandoned since it was described from poor diagnostic material.Description
''Paratapirus'' was among the earliest known tapirs, and probably evolved from '' Protapirus'' which had migrated into Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...
from North America near the end of the Oligocene.
In comparison to ''Protapirus'' it had more derived dentition, such as molar-like premolars..
References
Prehistoric tapirs Oligocene odd-toed ungulates Oligocene mammals of Europe Miocene odd-toed ungulates Miocene mammals of Europe {{Paleo-oddtoedungulate-stub