Macrauchenia

Live reconstruction of Macrauchenia

• South America

Macrauchenia was one of the last representatives of the mammalian order Litopterna that are counted among the so-called South American ungulates ( Meridiungulata ). It lived in South America and died at the end of the Pleistocene.

Appearance

With 1.8 m shoulder height Macrauchenia was about as big as a camel (Camelus ), and should also have reminded the habit something to these animals. Were located on the long and very strong legs carrying three toes, the neck was long, and the nostril on the crown segment will play a short proboscis suspect.

Dissemination

The order Litopterna originated in the mid- Paleocene and brought forth a number of genres, which is something reminiscent of today's horses or camels due to the extended limbs and reducing the number of toes. Most of them died after the emergence of the Central American land bridge at the end of the Pliocene and thereby enabled faunal exchange between North and South America, but two species of Litopterna, namely Windhausenia and just Macrauchenia, and two species ( the about hippo big Toxodon and Mixotoxodon ) from the projected also to the South American ungulates order Notoungulata.

Macrauchenia patachonica died at the end of the Pleistocene from about 10,000-20,000 years ago. The fact that this happened as a result of hunting by newly arrived predators and competition with immigrant ungulates from North America, is unlikely because with Macrauchenia at the end of the Pleistocene also disappeared, most of these new immigrant large animals after Macrauchenia previously over millions of years with the new immigrants together in South America had lived. Thus, there are findings together with the immigrant camel genus Palaeolama.

Macrauchenia remnants are found mainly in the southeastern Pampa areas, but also from Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela are in Taima Taimai findings known.

Way of life

From its geographical distribution, one can conclude that Macrauchenia was a Savannah residents. It is more difficult to reconstruct the dietary habits of this animal is. The presumed trunk, which would probably more suitable for plucking of leaves, suggests a foliage eaters, while the hochkronigen teeth indicate a grass eater.

Species

• Macrauchenia formosa
• Macrauchenia intermedia
• Macrauchenia patachonica
• Macrauchenia ullomensis