Prothylacynus

Prothylacynus
Temporal range: Early Miocene
(Santacrucian-Friasian)
~16.0–15.5 Ma
Life restoration of P. patagonicus and Interatherium robustum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: †Sparassodonta
Family: †Prothylacinidae
Genus: †Prothylacinus
Ameghino, 1891
Type species
Prothylacinus patagonicus
Ameghino, 1891
Synonyms
  • Napodonictis Ameghino, 1894
  • Prothylacocyon Winge, 1923
  • Prothylacynus

Prothylacinus is an extinct monotypic genus of South American metatherian that lived during the Early Miocene.

Description

Prothylacinus had a vestigial hallux that was most likely not visible in life. The humerus bore the epicondylar foramen. In form it was similar to the related Borhyaena. The genus had globose postcanine teeth. As with other sparassodonts, the deciduous teeth are less reduced, only the canines and premolars changing.

Distribution

Fossils of Prothylacinus have been found in the Friasian Río Frias Formation of Chile and the Santacrucian Santa Cruz Formation of Argentina.

Palaeobiology

Locomotion

The anatomy of Prothylacinus suggests it was adapted for controlled climbing.

Restored skeleton

References

  1. 1 2 Scott, William Berryman; Scott, William Berryman (1913). A history of land mammals in the Western Hemisphere; illustrated with 32 plates and more than 100 drawings. New York: Macmillan.
  2. ↑ Engelman, Russell K.; Croft, Darin Andrew (February 2022). "Identifying tooth position of isolated teeth of sparassodonts (Mammalia: Metatheria) using geometric morphometrics". Palaeontologia Electronica. doi:10.26879/1111.
  3. ↑ Prothylacinus at Fossilworks.org
  4. ↑ Argot, Christine (2003). "Functional adaptations of the postcranial skeleton of two Miocene borhyaenoids (Mammalia, Metatheria), Borhyaena and Prothylacinus, from South America". Palaeontology. 46 (6): 1213–1267. Bibcode:2003Palgy..46.1213A. doi:10.1046/j.0031-0239.2003.00339.x.