CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA)
Pronothrotherium typicum is a late Miocene–early Pliocene (Huayquerian–Chapadmalalan SALMA) nothrotheriid sloth known from the Catamarca Province of northwestern Argentina. Pronothrotherium is one of four nothrotheriid genera known from relatively complete skeletal material, but unlike the other thr...
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| Format: | Article |
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Asociación Paleontológica Argentina
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina |
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| Online Access: | https://www.peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/320 |
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| author | Timothy Gaudin Susan Tuckniss Alberto Boscaini François Pujos Gerardo De Iuliis |
| author_facet | Timothy Gaudin Susan Tuckniss Alberto Boscaini François Pujos Gerardo De Iuliis |
| author_sort | Timothy Gaudin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pronothrotherium typicum is a late Miocene–early Pliocene (Huayquerian–Chapadmalalan SALMA) nothrotheriid sloth known from the Catamarca Province of northwestern Argentina. Pronothrotherium is one of four nothrotheriid genera known from relatively complete skeletal material, but unlike the other three, the osteology of Pronothrotherium has not been formally described. The present study provides the first detailed description and illustration of the cranial anatomy of Pronothrotherium, based largely on a nearly complete, subadult skull of P. typicum from the collections of The Field Museum (Chicago, Illinois, USA), as well as a less well-preserved adult skull and isolated mandible from the same collections. A revised cranial diagnosis of P. typicum is provided in the text. The skull of this species shows a number of distinctive features, most notably a peculiar vomerine keel in the nasopharynx, terminating in a swollen knob, that is, as far we know, a unique morphology among mammals. Based on the results of the present study, there appears to be reason to recognize two contemporaneous species of Pronothrotherium, P. typicum and P. mirabilis, although the latter is less well supported. We do not accept the validity of a third described species, P. figueirasi, considering it instead to be synonymous with P. mirabilis. The present study does not resolve the uncertain phylogenetic relationships among the well-preserved nothrotheriine taxa Pronothrotherium, Mionothropus (late Miocene), and the two Pleistocene genera in Nothrotheriini, Nothrotherium and Nothrotheriops. However, we hope that the data provided will facilitate subsequent phylogenetic studies that may resolve these issues. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T14:01:37Z |
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| id | doaj.art-0ea519c361a84005a16b8897f1730a6f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2469-0228 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T14:01:37Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Asociación Paleontológica Argentina |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ea519c361a84005a16b8897f1730a6f2022-12-21T21:05:19ZengAsociación Paleontológica ArgentinaPublicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina2469-02282020-11-01202CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA)Timothy Gaudin0Susan Tuckniss1Alberto Boscaini2François Pujos3Gerardo De Iuliis4Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science (Department 2653), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, TN, USADepartment of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science (Department 2653), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, TN, USADivisión Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina | IEGEBA – CONICET, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaInstituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CCT‐CONICET Mendoza, ArgentinaDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Canada | Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, CanadaPronothrotherium typicum is a late Miocene–early Pliocene (Huayquerian–Chapadmalalan SALMA) nothrotheriid sloth known from the Catamarca Province of northwestern Argentina. Pronothrotherium is one of four nothrotheriid genera known from relatively complete skeletal material, but unlike the other three, the osteology of Pronothrotherium has not been formally described. The present study provides the first detailed description and illustration of the cranial anatomy of Pronothrotherium, based largely on a nearly complete, subadult skull of P. typicum from the collections of The Field Museum (Chicago, Illinois, USA), as well as a less well-preserved adult skull and isolated mandible from the same collections. A revised cranial diagnosis of P. typicum is provided in the text. The skull of this species shows a number of distinctive features, most notably a peculiar vomerine keel in the nasopharynx, terminating in a swollen knob, that is, as far we know, a unique morphology among mammals. Based on the results of the present study, there appears to be reason to recognize two contemporaneous species of Pronothrotherium, P. typicum and P. mirabilis, although the latter is less well supported. We do not accept the validity of a third described species, P. figueirasi, considering it instead to be synonymous with P. mirabilis. The present study does not resolve the uncertain phylogenetic relationships among the well-preserved nothrotheriine taxa Pronothrotherium, Mionothropus (late Miocene), and the two Pleistocene genera in Nothrotheriini, Nothrotherium and Nothrotheriops. However, we hope that the data provided will facilitate subsequent phylogenetic studies that may resolve these issues.https://www.peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/320XenarthransSlothsPronothrotheriumSkullTaxonomy |
| spellingShingle | Timothy Gaudin Susan Tuckniss Alberto Boscaini François Pujos Gerardo De Iuliis CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA) Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina Xenarthrans Sloths Pronothrotherium Skull Taxonomy |
| title | CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA) |
| title_full | CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA) |
| title_fullStr | CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA) |
| title_full_unstemmed | CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA) |
| title_short | CRANIAL OSTEOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF PRONOTHROTHERIUM (XENARTHRA, FOLIVORA, NOTHROTHERIIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE–EARLY PLIOCENE OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE (ARGENTINA) |
| title_sort | cranial osteology and taxonomy of pronothrotherium xenarthra folivora nothrotheriidae from the late miocene early pliocene of catamarca province argentina |
| topic | Xenarthrans Sloths Pronothrotherium Skull Taxonomy |
| url | https://www.peapaleontologica.org.ar/index.php/peapa/article/view/320 |
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