Macrauchenia patachonica (literally "Big Neck (of) Patagonia") was a long-necked and long-limbed, three-toed South American ungulate mammal, typifying the order Litopterna. The oldest fossils date back to around seven million years ago, and M. patachonica disappears from the fossil record during the late Pleistocene, around 10 thousand years ago. M. patachonica was the best known member of the family Macraucheniidae, and is known only from fossil finds in South America, primarily from the Lujan Formation in Argentina. The original fossil specimen was discovered by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. In life, Macrauchenia resembled a humpless camel with a short trunk, though it is not closely related to either camels or proboscideans. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sir Richard Owen KCB (July 20, 1804–December 18, 1892) was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Orders & Clades Order Perissodactyla Eparctocyona Order Arctostylonia (extinct) Order Mesonychia (extinct) Cetartiodactyla Order Cetacea Order Artiodactyla Bulbulodentata (extinct) Family Hyopsodontidae Meridiungulata (extinct) Order Litopterna Notoungulata (extinct) Order Toxodontia Order Typotheria Ungulates (meaning roughly being hoofed or hoofed animal) are several groups of mammals most of which use the tips of... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... The Litopterna, also known as the pseudo-horse, is an order of fossil mammals from the Tertiary Period that displays toe reduction. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fossil. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... For other people of the same surname, and places and things named after Charles Darwin, see Darwin. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... Groups Jozaria (extinct) Anthracobunidae (extinct) Moeritheriidae (extinct) Euproboscidea Numidotheriidae (extinct) Barytheriidae (extinct) Deinotheriidae (extinct) Elephantiformes Phiomiidae (extinct) Palaeomastodontidae (extinct) Hemimastodontidae (extinct) Euelephantoidea Choerolophodontidae (extinct) Amebelodontidae (extinct) Gnathabelodontidae (extinct) Gomphotheriidae (extinct) Elephantidae Mammutidae (extinct) Proboscidea is an order containing only one family of living animals, Elephantidae, the elephants, with three species...

History

Macrauchenia appeared in the fossil record some 7 million years ago in South America (in the Miocene era), where it lived among other creatures, some of which kept its population in check. It is likely that this species of Macraucheniidae evolved from the species Theosodon or Promacrauchenia. The Notoungulata, the Litopterna and the Pyrotheria were three orders of ungulates which only occurred in South America. Many of these species became extinct through competition with invading North American species after the establishment of the Central American land bridge. A few survivors of this invasion were the litopterns Macrauchenia and Windhausenia and the large notungulates Toxodon and Mixotoxodon. These last original South American hoofed animals died out eventually at the end of the Pleistocene, with a large number of other animals on the American continent. Among others, American elephants, horses, camels, saber-toothed cats and ground sloths. As this genus was the last of the litopterns, its extinction ended that line of mammals. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fossil. ... Binomial name Theosodon lydekkeeri Genera and Species Theosodon lydekkeeri Theosodon garretorum Theosodon is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal. ... The Notoungulates are an extinct order of hoofed mammals that were native in South America. ... The Litopterna, also known as the pseudo-horse, is an order of fossil mammals from the Tertiary Period that displays toe reduction. ... Families Pyrotheriidae Pyrotheria is an order of extinct hoofed mammals. ... Binomial name Toxodon platensis Owen, 1837 Toxodon is a genus of mammals, similar to the capybara but now extinct, that lived in the late Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs in South America. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... The fossilized skeleton of a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon californicus). ... Families Rathymotheriidae Ameghino, 1904 Scelidotheriidae Ameghino, 1889 Mylodontidae Gill, 1872 Orophodontidae Ameghino, 1895 Megalonychidae Gervais, 1855 Megatheriidae Gray, 1821 Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct edentate (Superorder Xenarthra) mammals that are believed to be relatives of tree sloths and three-toed sloths. ...

Anatomy

One striking characteristic of Macrauchenia was that, unlike most other mammals, its openings for nostrils on its skull were atop the head, leading some early scientists to believe that, much like a whale, it used these nostrils as a form of snorkel. Soon after some more recent findings, this theory was rejected. One finding on Macrauchenia's physiology was that it had an unusually good mobility, in that it could change direction when it ran. Obviously, since no living member of this species has been seen by man, speculation alone will serve as any indication of what color its coat may have been. Most scientists are inclined to believe that, since Macrauchenia lived in a savanna environment much like the savannas of modern-day Africa, scientists speculate that it had a tawny coat to match the dried grass. “Savannah” redirects here. ...

With this, the Macrauchenia was known, like its relative, the Theosodon, to have a full set of 44 teeth. Binomial name Theosodon lydekkeeri Genera and Species Theosodon lydekkeeri Theosodon garretorum Theosodon is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal. ...

Diet and behavior

Macrauchenia was an herbivore, likely living on leaves from trees or grasses. Scientists believe that, because of the forms of its teeth, it was an herbivore which ate using its trunk to grasp leaves and other food. With that, it is also speculated, and widely accepted, that it lived in herds not unlike modern-day wildebeests or antelopes, the better to escape predators.

Predators

When Macrauchenia first arose, its primary predators would have been the larger terror birds, such as Phorusrhacos, as well as carnivorous marsupials such as Thylacosmilus and Borhyaena. During the late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene, the Panama Isthmus formed, allowing North American fauna to emigrate into South America, such as the puma, the jaguar and the saber-toothed cat, Smilodon populator. Synonyms Phororhacosidae Ameghino, 1889 Phororhacidae Lydekker, 1893 Brontornithidae Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 Darwinornithidae Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 Stereornithidae Moreno & Mercerat, 1891 Patagornithidae Mercerat, 1897 Devincenziidae Kraglievich, 1932 Mesembriorniidae Kraglievich, 1932 Phorusrhacidae Brodkorb, 1963 Phorusrhacoids were large carnivorous flightless birds that were the dominant predators in South America during the Cenozoic, 62-2. ... Binomial name Phorusrhacos longissimus Ameghino, 1887 Synonyms see text Phorusrhacos (pronounced FOR-rus-RAH-kos) was a genus of giant flightless predatory birds that lived in Patagonia, containing the single species P. longissimus. ... Species Thylacosmilus was a saber-toothed marsupial predator that first appeared during the Miocene. ... Borhyaena is an extinct genus of South American marsupial. ... The Isthmus of Panama. ... Species P. concolor P. yagouaroundi Puma is a Felidae genus that contains the Cougar (also known as the Puma, among other names) and the Jaguarundi. ... For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... The fossilized skeleton of a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon californicus). ... Binomial name Smilodon populator Lund, 1842 Smilodon populator (the Smilodon that brings devastation) was a machairodontine saber-toothed cat species. ...

It is presumed that Macrauchenia dealt with its predators primarily by outrunning them, or, failing that, kicking them with its long, powerful legs.

Fossil evidence

The first skeleton of Macrauchenia was discovered at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Charles Darwin in Patagonia (Argentina) during his voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, and mistakenly identified the bones as those of a giant llama. Since then, more fossil Macrauchenia skeletons have been found, mainly in Patagonia, although fossils of Macrauchenia have also been dug up in Bolivia and Venezuela. Patagonia, as most commonly defined (in orange). ... HMS Beagle was a Cherokee class 10-gun brig of the Royal Navy, named after the beagle, a breed of dog. ...

Cultural references

Macrauchenia is featured in the episode "Saber-tooth" of the show Walking with Beasts, and indviduals are featured in the 2002 Blue Sky film Ice Age (film) and its sequel, the 2006 film Ice Age: The Meltdown. It was included in the Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection as part of the Endangered Species Theme Pack and in Wildlife Park 2: Crazy Zoo as a cloneable beast. // Walking with Beasts is a 2001 six-part television documentary produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom, narrated by Kenneth Branagh. ... This article is about the film. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the eleventh edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External links

• An artist's rendition of a Macrauchenia. Retrieved from the Red Académica Uruguaya megafauna page.