Parastrapotherium


Parastrapotherium is an extinct genus of South American land mammal that existed from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene. The genus includes some of the largest and smallest known astrapotherians, but has no generally recognized description.

Description

The genus was first described by Amagehino in 1895. He distinguished it from the Santacrucian Astrapotherium based on the greater number of upper and lower molars. Although later researchers disagreed and concluded that Ameghino based his conclusion on very fragmentary materials, they mostly agreed to distinguish the genus from other groups of astrapotherians. In the mandibular canine of Parastrapotherium, the microstructure of the tooth enamel is characterised by vertical decussation with enamel prism zones bending in an undulatory pattern.

Species

The following species have been recognised:
  • Parastrapotherium cingulatum Ameghino, 1894
  • Parastrapotherium ephebicum Ameghino, 1894
  • Parastrapotherium holmbergi Ameghino, 1894
  • Parastrapotherium lemoinei Ameghino, 1894
  • Parastrapotherium trouessarti Ameghino, 1894

    Distribution

Fossils of Parastrapotherium have been found in:
;Oligocene
;Miocene
The microstructural details of its long bones indicate that Parastrapotherium was specialised for graviportal locomotion.