Post by Infinity Blade on Aug 18, 2015 4:50:06 GMT 5
Macroeuphractus spp.
An illustration of Macroeuphractus outesi preying upon juvenile Lagostomopsis sp.
Temporal range: Miocene to Pliocene epochs (Tortonian-Piacenzian; 9-3.6Ma[1])
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Cephalochordata
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Order: Therapsida
Clade: Eutheriodonta
Suborder: Cynodontia
Clade: Epicynodontia
Infraorder: Eucynodontia
Parvorder: Probainognathia
Superfamily: Chiniquodontoidea
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliaformes
Class: Mammalia
Clade: Holotheria
Superlegion: Trechnotheria
Legion: Cladotheria
Sublegion: Zatheria
Infralegion: Tribosphenida
Subclass: Theria
Clade: Eutheria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Subcohort: Exafroplacentalia
Superorder: Xenarthra
Order: Cingulata
Family: Dasyopidae
Subfamily: Euphractinae
Genus: †Macroeuphractus
Species: †M. outesi
†M. retusus
†M. moreni
Macroeuphractus was an extinct genus of carnivorous armadillo that lived in Argentina and Bolivia from the Miocene to Pliocene epochs ~9-3.6 million years ago.[1]
Description:
Macroeuphractus weighed roughly ~100 kilograms.[2][3]
Its skull and dental morphology corresponded with a carnivorous diet. The creature was in possession of the following:
- large, conical caniniform teeth.
- an enlarged temporal fossa.
- more developed muscles pertaining to the temporalis musculature (as evidenced by the more prominent muscle scars).
- a deeper rostrum.
- more powerful anterior teeth (particularly in the enlarged and caniniform M2).
- a deeper and more robust zygomatic arch.
- a greater moment arm of the temporalis muscle than in other armadillos.
Macroeuphractus likely held "an extreme position in the carnivorous-omnivorous feeding behavior of euphractines". Given its massive body, it could have easily preyed upon hare-sized vertebrates.[2][3]
Skull of Macroeuphractus outesi.
References:
[1] fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=188851
[2] scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/06/13/five-things-you-didnt-know-abo/
[3] "Evidence for Advanced Carnivory in Fossil Armadillos (Mammalia:Xenarthra:Dasypodidae" (Vizcaíno & De Iuliis, 2003).
An illustration of Macroeuphractus outesi preying upon juvenile Lagostomopsis sp.
Temporal range: Miocene to Pliocene epochs (Tortonian-Piacenzian; 9-3.6Ma[1])
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Cephalochordata
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Eupelycosauria
Clade: Sphenacodontia
Clade: Sphenacodontoidea
Order: Therapsida
Clade: Eutheriodonta
Suborder: Cynodontia
Clade: Epicynodontia
Infraorder: Eucynodontia
Parvorder: Probainognathia
Superfamily: Chiniquodontoidea
Clade: Prozostrodontia
Clade: Mammaliaformes
Class: Mammalia
Clade: Holotheria
Superlegion: Trechnotheria
Legion: Cladotheria
Sublegion: Zatheria
Infralegion: Tribosphenida
Subclass: Theria
Clade: Eutheria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Subcohort: Exafroplacentalia
Superorder: Xenarthra
Order: Cingulata
Family: Dasyopidae
Subfamily: Euphractinae
Genus: †Macroeuphractus
Species: †M. outesi
†M. retusus
†M. moreni
Macroeuphractus was an extinct genus of carnivorous armadillo that lived in Argentina and Bolivia from the Miocene to Pliocene epochs ~9-3.6 million years ago.[1]
Description:
Macroeuphractus weighed roughly ~100 kilograms.[2][3]
Its skull and dental morphology corresponded with a carnivorous diet. The creature was in possession of the following:
- large, conical caniniform teeth.
- an enlarged temporal fossa.
- more developed muscles pertaining to the temporalis musculature (as evidenced by the more prominent muscle scars).
- a deeper rostrum.
- more powerful anterior teeth (particularly in the enlarged and caniniform M2).
- a deeper and more robust zygomatic arch.
- a greater moment arm of the temporalis muscle than in other armadillos.
Macroeuphractus likely held "an extreme position in the carnivorous-omnivorous feeding behavior of euphractines". Given its massive body, it could have easily preyed upon hare-sized vertebrates.[2][3]
Skull of Macroeuphractus outesi.
References:
[1] fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=188851
[2] scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/06/13/five-things-you-didnt-know-abo/
[3] "Evidence for Advanced Carnivory in Fossil Armadillos (Mammalia:Xenarthra:Dasypodidae" (Vizcaíno & De Iuliis, 2003).
