Parastrapotherium

Parastrapotherium is an extinct genus of South American land mammal that existed from the Late Oligocene (Deseadan SALMA) to the Early Miocene (Colhuehuapian SALMA). The genus includes some of the largest and smallest known astrapotherians, but As of 2008^[update] has no generally recognized description.^[1]

Parastrapotherium Temporal range: Late Oligocene-Early Miocene (Deseadan-Colhuehuapian) ~23–17.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Parastrapotherium giganteum tooth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Astrapotheria
Family:	†Astrapotheriidae
Genus:	†Parastrapotherium Ameghino 1895
Species
See text

Description

Reconstruction of Parastrapotherium sp.

The genus was first described by Amagehino in 1895.^[2] He distinguished it from the Santacrucian (late Early Miocene) 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.^[1]

Species

The following species have been recognised:^[3]

• 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:^[3]

Oligocene

• Deseado Formation, Argentina
• Sarmiento Formation, Argentina

Miocene

• Cerro Bandera Formation, Argentina
• Sarmiento Formation, Argentina