Diadiaphorus
Appearance
Diadiaphorus | |
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Diadiaphorus robustus skull | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | †Litopterna |
Family: | †Proterotheriidae |
Subfamily: | †Proterotheriinae |
Genus: | †Diadiaphorus Ameghino, 1887 |
Type species | |
Diadiaphorus majusculus Ameghino, 1887
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Species | |
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Synonyms | |
Genus synonymy
D. majusculus
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Diadiaphorus is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal from the Miocene of Argentina (Ituzaingó, Pinturas, Chiquimil and Santa Cruz Formations) and Bolivia (Nazareno Formation), South America.
Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Diadiaphorus_majusculus_NT.jpg/220px-Diadiaphorus_majusculus_NT.jpg)
Diadiaphorus closely resembled a horse, but was only around 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) in body length with a weight 70 kilograms (150 lb), similar to a modern sheep.[1] It had three toes, only one of which touched the ground. This toe had a large hoof; the two outer toes were rudimentary, much like those of early horses such as Merychippus. Unlike horses, however, Diadiaphorus lacked fused limb bones. Its skull was short and had a relatively large brain cavity. Judging from its low molars, Diadiaphorus ate soft vegetation, such as leaves.[2]
References
- ^ D. Patterson, Bruce (2012) Bones, Clones, and Biomes: The History and Geography of Recent Neotropical Mammals p.92
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 247. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
Categories:
- Proterotheriids
- Miocene mammals of South America
- Huayquerian
- Chasicoan
- Mayoan
- Laventan
- Colloncuran
- Friasian
- Santacrucian
- Neogene Argentina
- Fossils of Argentina
- Ituzaingó Formation
- Neogene Bolivia
- Fossils of Bolivia
- Fossil taxa described in 1887
- Taxa named by Florentino Ameghino
- Prehistoric placental genera
- Austral or Magallanes Basin
- Santa Cruz Formation
- Prehistoric mammal stubs