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Anayatherium

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Extinct genus of notoungulates

Anayatherium
Temporal range: Late Oligocene (Deseadan)
~27–26 Ma PreꞒ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Notoungulata
Family: Leontiniidae
Genus: Anayatherium
Shockey 2005
Type species
Anayatherium ekecoa
Shockey, 2005
Species
  • A. ekecoa Shockey 2005
  • A. fortis Shockey 2005

Anayatherium is an extinct genus of notoungulate belonging to the family Leontiniidae. It lived during the Late Oligocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.

Description

It was a large-sized and heavy-shaped animal, that could reach the size of a cow. It may have reached a length of 2.5 meters ; its skull was 45 centimeters long, and its weight may have exceeded 350 kilograms.

Anayatherium was characterized by a very short muzzle, compared to other leontiniids. The shortening of the muzzle was reflected in the dentition by the loss of one of the upper teeth, probably a canine. The first upper incisor was larger than the second, as in Scarrittia, while the third and fourth premolars had vertical lingual grooves, as in Leontinia. The second upper incisor was of a typical shape, unlike Leontinia in which it had instead the shape of a canine ; in Anayatherium, the first incisor took the place of the canine. Unlike Scarrittia, the premolars had grooved protocones. The molars were low-crowned (brachydont), and only slightly high-crowned (hypsodont) on the lingual side.

Classification

The genus Anayatherium was first described in 2015 by Shockey, based on fossils found in the Salla Formation of Bolivia, in terrains dated from the Late Oligocene. Two species were attributed to the genus, A. ekecoa, the type species, and A. fortis, mainly distinguished by their respective sizes.

Anayatherium was a leontiniid, a family of notoungulates typical of the Oligocene and Miocene, with heavy and large bodies. Anayatherium seems to have belonged to a clade including Colpodon, Ancylocoelus, and the two derived genera Leontinia and Scarrittia.

Paleoecology

Like all leontiniids, Anayatherium was a heavy quadrupedal folivore. Fossils of Anayatherium are unusually rare for a leontiniid ; leontiniids were usually common animals in their habitats. It is possible that the Salla Formation may not have been particularly suited environment for leontiniids during the Late Oligocene.

Bibliography

  • B. J. Shockey. 2005. New leontinidids (Class Mammalia, Order Notoungulata, Family Leontiniidae) from the Salla beds of Bolivia (Deseadan, Late Oligocene). Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 45(4):249-260
  • B. J. Shockey, J. J. Flynn, D. A. Croft, P. Gans, and A. R. Wyss. 2012. New leontiniid Notoungulata (Mammalia) from Chile and Argentina: comparative anatomy, character analysis, and phylogenetic hypotheses. American Museum Novitates 3737:1-64
Genera of South American native ungulates
Xenungulata, Pyrotheria, Astrapotheria, and other minor groups
Kollpaniidae?
Didolodontidae
Protolipternidae
Xenungulata
Carodniidae
Pyrotheria
Colombitheriidae
Pyrotheriidae
Astrapotheria
Trigonostylopidae
Astrapotheriidae
Albertogaudryinae
Astrapotheriinae
Uruguaytheriinae
Carodnia vieirai

Pyrotherium romeroi

Astrapotherium magnum
Litopterna
Eulitopterna
Adianthidae
Macraucheniidae
Cramaucheniinae
Macraucheniinae
Proterotherioidea
Anisolambdidae
Anisolambdinae
Sparnotheriodontinae
Proterotheriidae
Megadolodinae
Proterotheriinae
Notopterna
Amilnedwardsiidae
Indaleciidae
Notonychopidae
Incertae sedis
Theosodon garretorum Xenorhinotherium bahiense
Notoungulata
incertae sedis
Notioprogonia
Henricosborniidae
Notostylopidae
Toxodontia
Homalodotheriidae
Isotemnidae
Eutoxodontia
Leontiniidae
Notohippidae
Toxodontidae
Nesodontinae
Toxodontinae
Typotheria
Archaeopithecidae
Oldfieldthomasiidae
Interatheriidae
Interatheriinae
Notopithecinae
Mesotheriidae
Mesotheriinae
Archaeohyracidae
Hegetotheriidae
Hegetotheriinae
Pachyrukhinae
Pachyrukhini
Thomashuxleya rostrata

Huilatherium pluriplicatum

Toxodon platensis
Taxon identifiers
Anayatherium


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