''Paratrigodon'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

genus notoungulate belonging to the subfamily

Toxodontinae 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 Americ ...

, containing one species, ''P. euguii''. Like its close relative ''

Trigodon ''Trigodon'' is an extinct genus of the family Toxodontidae, a large bodied notoungulate which inhabited South America during the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene (Mayoan to Montehermosan in the SALMA classification), living from 11.61 to 4.0 Ma a ...

'', it is known for the presence of a horn-like protuberance on its forehead.

Fossils A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...

of ''Paratrigodon'' are known from the

Arroyo Chasicó Formation Arroyo often refers to: * Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek Arroyo may also refer to: People * Arroyo (surname) Places United States ;California * Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California * Arroyo ...

dating from the Chasicoan period, and teeth from the Laventan-aged Quebrada Honda Fauna of

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

were also associated with the genus, although considered too different from the type species to be assigned to it.

Description

''Paratrigodon'' was originally described in 1931 from remains coming from the Arroyo Chasicó Formation of Argentina. The holotype, MLP 12-1664 preserved the basis and the rostral part of the crania of an adult specimen, including the zygomatic bone. The skull was larger than ''Trigodon'', with an enlarged rostral part and broad incisors, similar to '' Toxodon'', and a strong protuberance on its forehead. It is different from most toxodonts by having upper molars with a single non-bifurcating enamel fold and a smooth distolingual sulcus. Its species name honors Bernardo Eugui, a member of the paleontogy department of the La Plata Museum, who recovered most of the material assigned to the holotype.

References

Toxodonts Miocene mammals of South America Miocene genus first appearances Miocene extinctions Laventan Chasicoan Neogene Argentina Fossils of Argentina Neogene Bolivia Fossils of Bolivia Fossil taxa described in 1931 Prehistoric placental genera {{notoungulate-stub