Paranauchenia is an extinct genus of South American litopterns belonging to the family Macraucheniidae. It is known only from fossil finds in Argentina. It possessed three toes and long limbs. The species Paranauchenia denticulata lived in the Miocene epoch in Argentina.[1] Fossils have been found in the Arroyo Chasicó and Ituzaingó Formations of Argentina.[2]

Paranauchenia
Temporal range: Late Miocene (Huayquerian)
~9.0–6.8 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Litopterna
Family: Macraucheniidae
Subfamily: Macraucheniinae
Genus: Paranauchenia
Ameghino, 1904
Type species
Paranauchenia denticulata
Ameghino, 1904

Classification

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Cladogram based in the phylogenetic analysis published by Schmidt et al., 2014, showing the position of Paranauchenia:[3]

References

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  1. ^ Ameghino, F. 1904a. Nuevas especies de mamíferos Cretáceos y Terciarios de la República Argentina. Anales de la Sociedad Científica Argentina 16: 193-208; 17: 162-175, 182-192, 225-240, 241-291.
  2. ^ Paranauchenia at Fossilworks.org
  3. ^ Schmidt, Gabriela I.; Ferrero, Brenda S. (September 2014). "Taxonomic Reinterpretation of Theosodon hystatus Cabrera and Kraglievich, 1931 (Litopterna, Macraucheniidae) and Phylogenetic Relationships of the Family". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (5): 1231–1238. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34.1231S. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.837393. hdl:11336/18953.