Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys

Darin A. Croft

Description

Gold Medal, Science, 2017 Independent Publisher Book Awards

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South America is home to some of the most distinctive mammals on Earth—giant armadillos, tiny anteaters, the world's largest rodent, and its smallest deer. But the continent once supported a variety of other equally intriguing mammals that have no close living relatives: armored mammals with tail clubs, saber-toothed marsupials, and even a swimming sloth. We know of the existence of these peculiar species thanks to South America's rich fossil record, which provides many glimpses of prehistoric mammals and the ecosystems in which they lived. Organized as a "walk through time" and featuring species from 15 important fossil sites, this book is the most extensive and richly illustrated volume devoted exclusively to the Cenozoic mammals of South America. The text is supported by 75 life reconstructions of extinct species in their native habitats, as well as photographs of fossil specimens and the sites highlighted in the book. An annotated bibliography is included for those interested in delving into the scientific literature.

Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Time and Geography
2. Introduction to Mammals
Part I. Early South American Phase and the Trans-Atlantic Dispersal Interval (TADI)
3. Tiupampa, Bolivia
3.1 Pucadelphys andinus
3.2 Mayulestes ferox
3.3 Molinodus suarezi
3.4 Alcidedorbignya inopinata
4. Itaboraí, Brazil
4.1 Epidolops ameghinoi
4.2 Colbertia magellanica
4.3 Protolipterna ellipsodontoides
4.4 Carodnia vieirai
5. Gran Barranca, Argentina
5.1 Sebecus icaeorhinus
5.2 Niolamia argentina and Caroloameghinia mater
5.3 Utaetus buccatus
5.4 Thomashuxleya rostrata
5.5 Notopithecus adapinus
6. La Gran Hondonada, Argentina
6.1 Otronia muhlbergi
6.2 Pseudhyrax eutrachytheroides
6.3 Puelia plicata
6.4 Trigonostylops wortmani
Part II. Late South American Phase
7. Tinguiririca, Chile
7.1 Klohnia charrieri
7.2 Pseudoglyptodon chilensis
7.3 Andemys termasi
7.4 Santiagorothia chiliensis
8. Salla, Bolivia
8.1 Paraborhyaena boliviana
8.2 Branisella boliviana
8.3 Anayatherium fortis
8.4 Trachytherus alloxus
8.5 Pyrotherium romeroi
9. Chucal, Chile
9.1 Parapropalaehoplophorus septentrionalis
9.2 Peltephilus ferox
9.3 Theosodon lallemanti
9.4 Nesodon imbricatus
9.5 Altitypotherium chucalensis
10. Santa Cruz, Argentina
10.1 Necrolestes patagonensis
10.2 Borhyaena tuberata
10.3 Hapalops indifferens
10.4 Steiromys duplicatus
10.5 Thoatherium minusculum
10.6 Interatherium robustum
11. La Venta, Colombia
11.1 Neotamandua borealis
11.2 Cebupithecia sarmientoi
11.3 Megadolodus molariformis and Purussaurus neivensis
11.4 Miocochilius anamopodus
11.5 Granastrapotherium snorki
12. Quebrada Honda, Bolivia
12.1 Acyon myctoderos
12.2 Hondalagus altiplanensis
12.3 Guiomys unica
12.4 Hemihegetotherium trilobus
13. Arroyo Chasicó, Argentina
13.1 Protomegalonyx chasicoensis
13.2 Prolagostomus and Lycopsis viverensis
13.3 Neobrachytherium ullumense
13.4 Chasicotherium rothi
13.5 Typotheriopsis chasicoensis
Part III. The Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) and the Interamerican Phase
14. Acre, Brazil
14.1 Neoglyptatelus originalis
14.2 Thalassocnus natans
14.3 Phoberomys burmeisteri
14.4 Trigodon
15. Catamarca, Argentina
15.1 Andalgalornis steulleti
15.2 Thylacosmilus atrox
15.3 Vassallia maxima and Argentavis magnificens
15.4 Pronothrotherium typicum
15.5 Cyonasua brevirostris
16. Chapadmalal, Argentina
16.1 Sparassocynus derivatus
16.2 Macroeuphractus outesi
16.3 Scelidotherium parodii
16.4 Platygonus marplatensis
16.5 Paedotherium typicum
17. Tarija, Bolivia
17.1 Cuvieronius hyodon
17.2 Glyptodon reticulatus
17.3 Doedicurus clavicaudatus
17.4 Megatherium americanum
17.5 Protocyon tarijensis and Glossotherium tarijense
17.6 Smilodon populator
17.7 Onohippidium devillei
17.8 Macrauchenia patachonica
17.9 Toxodon platensis
Further Reading
Appendix 1. Alphabetical List of Species
Appendix 2. List of Families and Higher Taxonomic Groups
Appendix 3. Mammals of Tiupampa, Bolivia
Appendix 4. Mammals of Itaboraí, Brazil
Appendix 5. Middle Eocene ("Barrancan") Mammals of Gran Barranca, Argentina
Appendix 6. Mammals of La Gran Hondonada, Argentina
Appendix 7. Mammals of Tinguiririca, Chile
Appendix 8. Mammals of Salla, Bolivia
Appendix 9. Mammals of Chucal, Chile
Appendix 10. Mammals of Costal Santa Cruz, Argentina
Appendix 11. Mammals of La Venta, Colombia
Appendix 12. Mammals of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia
Appendix 13. Mammals of Arroyo Chasicó, Argentina
Appendix 14. Mammals of Acre (Brazil and Peru)
Appendix 15. Mammals of Catamarca, Argentina
Appendix 16. Mammals of Chapadmalal, Argentina
Appendix 17. Mammals of Tarija, Bolivia
Glossary
Index

Sujets

• Sciences de la nature
• Biologie
• Natural History
• Life Sciences
• Fossils
• Mammals
• Sciences et techniques
• Biology
• Rock (geology)
• Zoology
• Paleontology
• Mammal
• Evolution
• 454 Life Sciences
• Rocks
• Science

Informations

• Publié par: Indiana University Press
• Date de parution: 29 août 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780253020949
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys
Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys
The Fascinating Fossil Mammals of South America
DARIN A. CROFT
Illustrated by Velizar Simeonovski
Life of the Past James O. Farlow, editor
This book is a publication of
Indiana University Press
Office of Scholarly Publishing
Herman B Wells Library 350
1320 East 10th Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA
iupress.indiana.edu
2016 by Darin A. Croft
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Manufactured in China
Cataloging information is available from the Library of Congress .
ISBN 978-0-253-02084-0 (cloth)
ISBN 978-0-253-02094-9 (ebook)
1 2 3 4 5 21 20 19 18 17 16
TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER WONDERED WHAT A NOTOUNGULATE LOOKED LIKE .
Here is indeed an interesting mixture of creatures, and it takes only a modicum of human curiosity to want to know their history and to learn, as far as possible, how that mixture arose.
GEORGE GAYLORD SIMPSON , Splendid Isolation: The Curious History of South American Mammals
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Time and Geography
2. Introduction to Mammals
Part I Early South American Phase and Trans-Atlantic Dispersal Interval (TADI)
3. Tiupampa, Bolivia
3.1 Pucadelphys andinus
3.2 Mayulestes ferox
3.3 Molinodus suarezi
3.4 Alcidedorbignya inopinata
4. Itabora , Brazil
4.1 Epidolops ameghinoi
4.2 Colbertia magellanica
4.3 Protolipterna ellipsodontoides
4.4 Carodnia vieirai
5. Gran Barranca, Argentina
5.1 Sebecus icaeorhinus
5.2 Niolamia argentina and Caroloameghinia mater
5.3 Utaetus buccatus
5.4 Thomashuxleya rostrata
5.5 Notopithecus adapinus
6. La Gran Hondonada, Argentina
6.1 Otronia muhlbergi
6.2 Pseudhyrax eutrachytheroides
6.3 Puelia plicata
6.4 Trigonostylops wortmani
Part II Late South American Phase
7. Tinguiririca, Chile
7.1 Klohnia charrieri
7.2 Pseudoglyptodon chilensis
7.3 Andemys termasi
7.4 Santiagorothia chiliensis
8. Salla, Bolivia
8.1 Paraborhyaena boliviana
8.2 Branisella boliviana
8.3 Anayatherium fortis
8.4 Trachytherus alloxus
8.5 Pyrotherium romeroi
9. Chucal, Chile
9.1 Parapropalaehoplophorus septentrionalis
9.2 Peltephilus ferox
9.3 Theosodon lallemanti
9.4 Nesodon imbricatus
9.5 Altitypotherium chucalensis
10. Santa Cruz, Argentina
10.1 Necrolestes patagonensis
10.2 Borhyaena tuberata
10.3 Hapalops indifferens
10.4 Steiromys duplicatus
10.5 Thoatherium minusculum
10.6 Interatherium robustum
11. La Venta, Colombia
11.1 Neotamandua borealis
11.2 Cebupithecia sarmientoi
11.3 Megadolodus molariformis and Purussaurus neivensis
11.4 Miocochilius anamopodus
11.5 Granastrapotherium snorki
12. Quebrada Honda, Bolivia
12.1 Acyon myctoderos
12.2 Hondalagus altiplanensis
12.3 Guiomys unica
12.4 Hemihegetotherium trilobus
13. Arroyo Chasic , Argentina
13.1 Protomegalonyx chasicoensis
13.2 Prolagostomus and Lycopsis viverensis
13.3 Neobrachytherium ullumense
13.4 Chasicotherium rothi
13.5 Typotheriopsis chasicoensis
Part III The Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) and the Interamerican Phase
14. Acre, Brazil
14.1 Neoglyptatelus originalis
14.2 Thalassocnus natans
14.3 Phoberomys burmeisteri
14.4 Trigodon
15. Catamarca, Argentina
15.1 Andalgalornis steulleti
15.2 Thylacosmilus atrox
15.3 Vassallia maxima and Argentavis magnificens
15.4 Pronothrotherium typicum
15.5 Cyonasua brevirostris
16. Chapadmalal, Argentina
16.1 Sparassocynus derivatus
16.2 Macroeuphractus outesi
16.3 Scelidotherium parodii
16.4 Platygonus marplatensis
16.5 Paedotherium typicum
17. Tarija, Bolivia
17.1 Cuvieronius hyodon
17.2 Glyptodon reticulatus
17.3 Doedicurus clavicaudatus
17.4 Megatherium americanum
17.5 Protocyon tarijensis and Glossotherium tarijense
17.6 Smilodon populator
17.7 Onohippidium devillei
17.8 Macrauchenia patachonica
17.9 Toxodon platensis
Further Reading
Appendices
Appendix 1. Alphabetical List of Species
Appendix 2. Families and Higher Taxonomic Groups
Appendix 3. Mammals of Tiupampa, Bolivia
Appendix 4. Mammals of Itabora , Brazil
Appendix 5. Middle Eocene ( Barrancan ) Mammals of Gran Barranca, Argentina
Appendix 6. Mammals of La Gran Hondonada, Argentina
Appendix 7. Mammals of Tinguiririca, Chile
Appendix 8. Mammals of Salla, Bolivia
Appendix 9. Mammals of Chucal, Chile
Appendix 10. Mammals of Coastal Santa Cruz, Argentina
Appendix 11. Mammals of La Venta, Colombia
Appendix 12. Mammals of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia
Appendix 13. Mammals of Arroyo Chasic , Argentina
Appendix 14. Mammals of Acre (Brazil and Peru)
Appendix 15. Mammals of Catamarca, Argentina
Appendix 16. Mammals of Chapadmalal, Argentina
Appendix 17. Mammals of Tarija, Bolivia
Glossary
Index
Preface
SOUTH AMERICA HAS A RICH AND FASCINATING FOSSIL MAMMAL record, the best among Southern Hemisphere continents. Unfortunately, most of these mammals are virtually unknown to the general public and even many paleontologists. One reason for this is that many varied and abundant groups left no living representatives or even close relatives. This makes it is difficult to make definitive statements about the habits of these mammals or even imagine what they may have looked like. Because most of these groups were restricted to South America, only a few museums outside that continent have specimens of them on display, and this has further impeded awareness of them elsewhere.
I myself was almost completely ignorant of the marvelous mammals of ancient South America until I undertook a Ph.D. thesis studying extinct species from Chile. Once I became familiar with them, I was struck by how difficult it was for friends and family to relate to the animals I was studying. I would describe these animals as small hoofed mammals that were not closely related to cows or horses and may have resembled large rodents more than anything else. That description usually just confused things or resulted in a shift in conversation. I realized that it was impossible for most people to identify with these animals without accurate reconstructions of how they may have appeared in life and accessible information about the roles they filled in ancient ecosystems.
The aim of this book is to provide the reader with a compelling but understandable summary of the extraordinary diversity of extinct South American mammals. I begin by briefly discussing the geography and main groups of South American mammals in the first two sections. I then highlight several species (primarily mammals) at each of 15 particularly well known paleontological sites. These sites were chosen because they span the so-called Age of Mammals (the Cenozoic Era, the last 66 million years), are distributed throughout much of the continent, and have produced important fossils of extinct species. The appendices of this book provide additional information about these sites and their extinct animals. Appendix 1 is an alphabetical list of the species reconstructed in this book. Appendix 2 is a comprehensive classification of families and higher taxonomic groups that are mentioned. This appendix also notes which families are represented by life reconstructions and discussed in greater detail. Appendices 3 - 17 list the mammal species that have been found at each of the sites highlighted in this book. These lists include relevant citations from the scientific literature.
Most of the life reconstructions in this book are of single mammal species, but some include two species and/or a bird or reptile. Each reconstruction is accompanied by a succinct description of the animal s habits and characteristics and basic information about it including (1) size; (2) ecological characteristics; (3) evolutionary relationships; and (4) the meaning of its scientific name. Size estimates for each species were taken from the scientific literature or calculated firsthand based on fossil remains or those of closely related species (see also chapter 2 ). Ecological characteristics mainly focus on locomotion and diet, whereas evolutionary relationships provide some idea of how the species is classified (see also appendix 2 ). Intended meanings of scientific names were taken directly from the original publication on the species, though for many species (particularly those named by Florentino Ameghino), the author provided no explicit justification for why the name was chosen. In such cases, I have attempted to deduce the intended meaning based on Greek and Latin roots and other information. Most reconstructions are accompanied by at least one photo of a fossil or modern specimen (or cast) that illustrates a particular aspect of anatomy discussed in the text. Further Reading includes an annotated list of relevant publications that should be consulted for additional information about the sites, species, and other topics discussed in this book. The glossary can be consulted for definitions of terms highlighted in bold in the text.
The life reconstructions of extinct species in this book were skillfully executed by Velizar Simeonovski and result from extensive discussions between Velizar and me about the possible appearance and habits of each species. In many cases, these reconstructions are based on closely related species that are known from more complete remains rather than the species recorded at a particular site. For each species, we inferred e