Punatherium

Punatherium Temporal range: Late Eocene ~44–40 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cingulata
Family:	Dasypodidae
Genus:	†Punatherium Ciancio et al, 2016
Type species
†Punatherium catamarcensis Ciancio et al, 2016

Punatherium is an extinct genus of xenarthran, belonging to the family Dasypodidae. It lived during the Late Eocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.

Description

This animal, probably quite similar to modern armadillos, is only known from a few osteoderms. It was probably a medium sized armadillo, comparable to the big hairy armadillo in size. It is characterized by a pelvic region equipped with a rigid shield of osteoderms fused together, themselves endowed of a main figure anteriorly circumscribed by three large foramina. Other large foramina were present, located in the lateral and posterior margins. They formed four peripheral figures, all anteriorly disposed. The contact margins between the osteoderms had several low and blunt protuberances. The semi-mobile osteoderms, probably situated in the back and flanks, show a lageniform main figure, surrounded by six large perforations, except in the posterior area.

Classification

Punatherium catamarcensis was first described in 2016, based on fossil remains found in Middle-Late Eocene terrains from the Catamarca Province of Argentina. Punatherium was a member of the family Dasypodidae, which includes the modern nine-banded armadillo.

Bibliography

• Ciancio, M.R., Herrera, C., Aramayo, A., Payrola, P., and Babot, J. 2016. Diversity of cingulate xenarthrans in the middle–late Eocene of Northwestern Argentina. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 61 (3): 575–590.

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Genera of armadillos and their extinct allies

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

Cingulata
† Noatherium † Saltatherium †Peltephilidae Anantiosodon Epipeltephilus Parapeltecoelus Peltecoelus Peltephilus Ronwolffia †Pachyarmatheriidae Neoglyptatelus Pachyarmatherium †Pampatheriidae Holmesina Kraglievichia Machlydotherium? Pampatherium Plaina Scirrotherium Tonnicinctus Vassallia Yuruatherium Dasypodidae †Acantharodeia †Amblytatus †Archaeutatus †Barrancatatus †Chasicotatus †Chorobates †Coelutatus †Eocoleophorus †Epipeltecoelus †Eutatus †Hemiutaetus †Isutaetus †Lumbreratherium †Macrochorobates †Mazzoniphractus †Meteutatus †Prodasypus †Prostegotherium †Pucatherium †Punatherium †Stenotatus †Utaetus Dasypodinae †Stegotherium †Astegotheriini Astegotherium Nanoastegotherium Parastegosimpsonia Riostegotherium Stegosimpsonia Dasypodini †Anadasypus Dasypus †Pliodasypus †Propraopus Chlamyphoridae †Proeutatus Chlamyphorinae Calyptophractus †Chlamydophractus Chlamyphorus Euphractinae Chaetophractus †Doellotatus Euphractus †Macroeuphractus †Paleurphractus †Proeuphractus †Prozaedyus Zaedyus †Glyptodontinae Andinoglyptodon Asterostemma Boreostemma Castellanosia Clypeotherium Cochlops Comaphorus Coscinocercus Daedicuroides Doedicurus Eleutherocercus Eosclerocalyptus Eucinepeltus Glyptatelus Glyptodon Glyptodontidium Glyptostracon Glyptotherium Heteroglyptodon Hoplophorus Kelenkura Lomaphorus Metopotoxus Neosclerocalyptus Neothoracophorus Neuryurus Palaehoplophorus Palaeopeltis Panochthus Paraglyptodon Parapropalaehoplophorus Phlyctaenopyga Plaxhaplous Plohophorus Prodaedicurus Propalaehoplophorus Protoglyptodon Pseudoneothoracophorus Stromaphorus Stromatherium Trachycalyptus Urotherium Xiphuroides Tolypeutinae Cabassous †Kuntinaru †Pedrolypeutes Priodontes Tolypeutes †Vetelia