Transpithecus

Transpithecus Temporal range: Middle Eocene ~40–37 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Notoungulata
Family:	†Interatheriidae
Genus:	†Transpithecus Ameghino, 1901
Species:	†T. obtentus
Binomial name
†Transpithecus obtentus Ameghino, 1901
Synonyms
Acoelodus connectus Ameghino 1901 Patriarchippus annectens Ameghino 1904

Transpithecus is an extinct genus of Notoungulates, belonging to the suborder Typotheria. It lived during the Middle Eocene in what is today South America.

Description

This animal may have been vaguely similar to a marmot, and could reach approximately 50 centimeters in length. It shared several similarities with rodents, but wasn't closely related to them. Transpithecus was related to Notopithecus, but was differentiated from the latter genus by several characteristics of its teeth. Its upper molars were characterized by a quadrangular shape and an internal fold, separating a smaller anterior lobe from the posterior lobe, and had a small enamel relief in the middle of their crowns. The premolars and upper molars were devoid of mesial cingulum. There was also a small descending process on the maxilla, more or less at the height of the mesial margin of the second upper molar.

Classification

Transpithecus obtentus was first described in 1901 by Florentino Ameghino, based on fossil remains found in Middle Eocene terrains from Argentina. Other fossils, initially described as different genera (Antepithecus, Acoelodus, Patriarchippus) were later attributed to the type species of Transpithecus.

Transpithecus is considered a member of Typotheria, a group of rodent-like notoungulate. Transpithecus was related to other basal typotheres, such as Notopithecus ; these two genera, historically considered basal members of the family Interatheriidae, have recently been placed within their own clade, Notopithecidae, outside of that family.

Bibliography

• F. Ameghino. 1901. Notices préliminaires sur des ongulés nouveaux des terrains crétacés de Patagonie [Preliminary notes on new ungulates from the Cretaceous terrains of Patagonia]. Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Córdoba 16:349-429
• G. G. Simpson. 1967. The beginning of the age of mammals in South America. Part II. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 137:1-260
• B. Vera. 2012. Revisión del género Transpithecus Ameghino, 1901 (Notoungulata, Interatheriidae) del Eoceno medio de Patagonia, Argentina. Ameghiniana 49(1):60-74
• Vera B. 2013. Acoelodus connectus Ameghino, 1901, sinónimo de Transpithecus obtentus Ameghino, 1901, “Notopithecinae” del Eoceno de Patagonia. Ameghiniana. 50:535–540. Spanish.
• B. Vera. 2016. Phylogenetic revision of the South American notopithecines (Mammalia: Notoungulata). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 14(6):461-480

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Genera of South American native ungulates

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Superorder: Laurasiatheria

Xenungulata, Pyrotheria, Astrapotheria, and other minor groups
†Kollpaniidae? Andinodus Molinodus Pucanodus Simoclaenus Tiuclaenus †Didolodontidae Didolodus Enneoconus Ernestokokenia Escribania? Lamegoia Paulogervaisia Raulvaccia Ricardocifellia Saltaodus Umayodus †Xenungulata †Carodniidae Carodnia Etayoa Notoetayoa Rodcania †Pyrotheria †Colombitheriidae Colombitherium Proticia †Pyrotheriidae Baguatherium Berracotherium Carolozittelia Griphodon Propyrotherium Pyrotherium †Astrapotheria Eoastrapostylops †Trigonostylopidae Shecenia Tetragonostylops Trigonostylops †Astrapotheriidae Antarctodon Astrapodon Comahuetherium Liarthrus Maddenia Parastrapotherium †Albertogaudryinae Albertogaudrya Astraponotus †Astrapotheriinae Astrapothericulus Astrapotherium Scaglia †Uruguaytheriinae Granastrapotherium Hilarcotherium Uruguaytherium Xenastrapotherium

Litopterna
†Litopterna †Protolipternidae Asmithwoodwardia Miguelsoria Protolipterna †Amilnedwardsiidae Amilnedwardsia Ernestohaeckelia Rutimeyeria †Sparnotheriodontidae Notiolofos Phoradiadius Sparnotheriodon Victorlemoinea †Indaleciidae Adiantoides Indalecia †Notonychopidae Notonychops Requisia †Lopholipterna †Adianthidae Adianthus Proadiantus Proectocion? Proheptaconus Thadanius Tricoelodus †Macraucheniidae Polymorphis †Cramaucheniinae Caliphrium Coniopternium Cramauchenia Llullataruca Phoenixauchenia Pternoconius Theosodon †Macraucheniinae Cullinia Huayqueriana Macrauchenia Macraucheniopsis Micrauchenia Oxyodontherium Paranauchenia Promacrauchenia Scalabrinitherium Windhausenia Xenorhinotherium †Proterotheriidae Mesolicaphrium Neodolodus Olisanophus Promylophis Pseudobrachytherium †Anisolambdinae Anisolambda Eolicaphrium Guilielmofloweria Heteroglyphis Lambdaconops Paranisolambda Protheosodon †Proterotheriinae Anisolophus Brachytherium Diadiaphorus Diplasiotherium Eoauchenia Epecuenia Epitherium Lambdaconus Neobrachytherium Neolicaphrium Paramacrauchenia Picturotherium Prolicaphrium Proterotherium Tetramerorhinus Thoatheriopsis Thoatherium Uruguayodon Villarroelia †Megadolodinae Bounodus Megadolodus Uncertain placement Kyraodus Proacrodon Salladolodus Xesmodon Wainka

Notoungulata
incertae sedis Acoelodus Archaeogaia Carolodarwinia Perutherium †Notioprogonia Satshatemnus Seudenius †Henricosborniidae Henricosbornia Nanolophodon Othnielmarshia Peripantostylops Simpsonotus †Notostylopidae Boreastylops Chilestylops Edvardotrouessartia Homalostylops Notostylops Otrhonia Parastylops †Toxodontia †Homalodotheriidae Asmodeus Chasicotherium Homalodotherium Trigonolophodon †Isotemnidae Anisotemnus Coelostylodon Distylophorus Hedralophus Isotemnus Lophocoelus Pampatemnus Periphragnis Pleurocoelodon Pleurostylodon Rhyphodon Thomashuxleya †Eutoxodontia †Leontiniidae Anayatherium Ancylocoelus Colpodon Coquenia Elmerriggsia Gualta Henricofilholia Huilatherium Leontinia Martinmiguelia Purperia? Scarrittia Taubatherium Termastherium †Notohippidae Acoelohyrax Argyrohippus Deuterotherium? Edvardocopeia Eomorphippus Eurygenium Mendozahippus Moqueguahippus Morphippus Nesohippus Notohippus Pampahippus Pascualihippus Patagonhippus Perhippidion Plexotemnus Puelia Purperia? Rhynchippus Rosendo Stilhippus Teushentherium Trimerostephanos †Toxodontidae †Nesodontinae Adinotherium Nesodon Proadinotherium †Toxodontinae Abothrodon Andinotoxodon Calchaquitherium Ceratoxodon Charruatoxodon Dinotoxodon Eutomodus Falcontoxodon Gyrinodon Haplodontherium Hemixotodon Hoffstetterius Hyperoxotodon Mesenodon Mesotoxodon Minitoxodon Mixotoxodon Neoadinotherium Neotoxodon Nesodonopsis Nonotherium Ocnerotherium Palyeidodon Paratrigodon Pericotoxodon Piauhytherium Pisanodon Plesiotoxodon Posnanskytherium Prototrigodon Stenotephanos Stereotoxodon Toxodon Toxodontherium Trigodon Trigodonops Xotodon †Typotheria Campanorco Griphotherion †Archaeopithecidae Archaeopithecus Teratopithecus †Oldfieldthomasiidae Allalmeia Brachystephanus Camargomendesia Colbertia Dolichostylodon Itaboraitherium Kibenikhoria Maxschlosseria Oldfieldthomasia Paginula Suniodon Tsamnichoria Ultrapithecus Xenostephanus †Interatheriidae Antofagastia Ignigena Johnbell Munizia Punapithecus †Interatheriinae Archaeophylus Argyrohyrax Boleatherium Brucemacfaddenia Caenophilus Choichephilum Cochilius Eopachyrucos Federicoanaya Interatherium Juchuysillu Miocochilius Neoicochilus Patriarchus Proargyrohyrax Progaleopithecus Protypotherium Santiagorothia †Notopithecinae Antepithecus Guilielmoscottia Notopithecus Transpithecus †Mesotheriidae Fiandraia? Trachytherus †Mesotheriinae Altitypotherium Caraguatypotherium Eotypotherium Eutypotherium Hypsitherium Mesotherium Microtypotherium Plesiotypotherium Pseudotypotherium Rusconitherium Typotheriopsis †Archaeohyracidae Archaeohyrax Archaeotypotherium Bryanpattersonia Eohyrax Pascualhyrax Protarchaeohyrax Pseudhyrax Punahyrax †Hegetotheriidae †Hegetotheriinae Ethegotherium Hegetotheriopsis Hegetotherium Hemihegetotherium Prohegetotherium Pseudohegetotherium Sallatherium †Pachyrukhinae Medistylus Propachyrucos Prosotherium Tremacyllus †Pachyrukhini Pachyrukhos Paedotherium Tremacyllus