Peligrotherium

Peligrotherium is an extinct meridiolestidan mammal from the Paleocene of Patagonia, originally interpreted as a stem-ungulate (though it did co-exist with early meridiungulates). Its remains have been found in the Salamanca Formation.^[1] Around the size of a dog, it was among the largest of all non-therian mammals, and the largest non-therian mammal known from South America.^[2] It is a member of Mesungulatoidea, a clade of herbivorous meridiolestidans with molars that had rounded (bunodont) cusps.^[3]

Peligrotherium Temporal range: Early Paleocene (Peligran) ~61.7–58.7 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Life restoration and 3D model of skull and mandibles
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	†Meridiolestida
Clade:	†Mesungulatoidea
Family:	†Peligrotheriidae Bonaparte et al., 1993
Genus:	†Peligrotherium Bonaparte et al., 1993
Species:	†P. tropicalis
Binomial name
†Peligrotherium tropicalis Bonaparte et al., 1993

Description

The dental formula of Peligrotherium tropicalis was I4?/? C1/1 P3/3 M3/3. Its last premolar was fully molarised, having morphology strongly akin to a molar, as has been suggested for mesungulatoids broadly. The presence of a high cementoenamel junction with a pronounced ridge showing signs of having undergone oral abrasion suggests that the species had a tall, thick gingiva comparable to that of a hippopotamus.^[4]

Diet

A biomechanical study found Peligrotherium to be a herbivore that was functionally similar to the black rhino.^[5]