Otronia
Otronia is an extinct genus of notoungulate, belonging to the Notostylopidae family. It lived during the Late Eocene, and its remains were discovered in South America.
Description
This animal was approximately the size of a modern racoon, and its length may have been around 60–70 centimeters excluding the tail. The skull was 14–15 centimeters long, and the animal may have been close to 10 kilograms.Otronia had a robust and square skull, characterised by its specialized dentition. As well as in some of its relatives, such as Notostylops, there was a noticeable diastema between the anterior teeth and the premolars. In Otronia this diastema was more elongated than in other genera, and the crown of the molars was higher. The first pair of upper incisors were quite large and directed downwards.
Classification
Otronia muehlbergi was first described in 1901 by Santiago Roth, based on a fossil found in Argentina near the Lago Musters, in terrains dating from the Eocene.Otronia was a notostylopid, a group of notoungulates with a curious mixture of basal and derived characteristics. Otronia may have been one of the more specialized forms of the family, and is also one of the latest known forms from it.