Toxodon

Skeleton of Toxodon in the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum

• South America

Toxodon is a genus of extinct mammals and namesake of the Toxodontidae, a family of Notoungulata. It fed herbivorous and was described in 1837 by Richard Owen. It lived from the late Pliocene and Pleistocene ( about 3.6 million years ago) until about 13,000 years ago in South America. Its name means " tooth in the form of an arrow ."

Features

Toxodon reached a live weight of up to two tons and a total length of about 2.7 meters. The shoulder height was approximately 1.50 meters. This Toxodon resembled a heavy rhinoceros with a hippopotamus -like head. Nasal openings on the top part of the skull can indicate a well-developed muzzle. The body was barrel-shaped and suggests extensive digestive apparatus. Similar to today's rhinos had it short but muscular legs that ended three-toed. The incisors protruded and were probably the tearing of leaves.

Way of life

Usually it is assumed that Toxodon similar to a present-day hippo semi - aquatic lived, as the nostrils and eyes were relatively far above the head and the limbs were relatively short. The hochkronigen teeth suggest an grazers out what is supported by results from studies based on carbon isotopes. The similar genus Mixotoxodon occurred during the Pleistocene in northern South America and Central America.

Species

Various species are known from the Pleistocene. From the early to middle Pleistocene T. ensenadensis occupied, while in Lujanian several species are likely to have existed. T. platensis, T. burmeisteri, T. darwinii, T. paradoxus, T. bilobidens, T. gracilis and T. gezi are sometimes viewed as a valid species of this section, although apparently only T. platensis and T. burmeisteri to the late Lujanian existed.