Astrapotherium

Astrapotherium Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Mid Miocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Astrapotheria
Family:	†Astrapotheriidae Ameghino 1887
Genus:	†Astrapotherium Burmeister 1879
Species:	†A. magnum
Binomial name
Astrapotherium magnum

Astrapotherium ("Great Lightning Beast") is an extinct South American mammal which vaguely resembled a cross between a small elephant, and a very large tapir. This peculiar-looking animal was unrelated to modern elephants, and was, instead, related to other extinct South American ungulates.

Description

Restoration

Astrapotherium had an elongated body, with a total length of about 2.5 metres (8.2 ft), a weight of nearly 1000 kg, and relatively short limbs. It had small plantigrade feet, and the hind limbs were significantly weaker than the fore limbs. Its four canine teeth were elongated to form short tusks, and it had broad protruding lower incisors which likely ground against a horny pad in the upper jaw, as in many modern ruminants.^[1]

The nostrils were placed high on the head, which might indicate the presence of a trunk, but could equally be due to other reasons, such as an inflatable nasal cavity.

Paleobiology

Canine tooth at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin

The animal was probably at least partially aquatic, living in shallow water and feeding on marsh plants in a similar manner to a modern hippopotamus.^[1]

Phylogeny

Restoration of the head by Robert Bruce Horsfall

Cladogram based in the phylogenetic analysis published by Vallejo-Pareja et al., 2015, showing the position of Astrapotherium:^[2]

	Eoastrapostylops
	Trigonostylops Tetragonostylops Albertogaudrya Scaglia Astraponotus Maddenia Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium

References

1. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 248. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
2. M. C. Vallejo-Pareja, J. D. Carrillo, J. W. Moreno-Bernal, M. Pardo-Jaramillo, D. F. Rodriguez-Gonzalez and J. Muñoz-Duran (2015). "Hilarcotherium castanedaii, gen. et sp. nov., a new Miocene astrapothere (Mammalia, Astrapotheriidae) from the Upper Magdalena Valley, Colombia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Online edition. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.903960.

External links

• "Astrapotherium" (Picture library, Natural History Museum, London)