Diadiaphorus

Diadiaphorus is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal from the Miocene of Argentina (Ituzaingó, Pinturas, Chiquimil and Santa Cruz Formations) and Bolivia (Nazareno Formation), South America.

Diadiaphorus
Temporal range: Early-Late Miocene (Santacrucian-Huayquerian)
~17.5–6.8 Ma
Diadiaphorus robustus skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
†Litopterna
Family:
†Proterotheriidae
Genus:
†Diadiaphorus

Ameghino, 1887
Species

† D. caniadensis
† D. coelops
† D. diplinthius
† D. majusculus
† D. minusculus
† D. paranensis
† D. robustus
† D. sanctaecrucis
† D. velox

Synonyms
  • Bunodontherium Mercerat 1891
  • Epitherium Ameghino 1888

Description
Restoration

Diadiaphorus closely resembled a horse, but was only around 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) in body length with a weight 70 kilograms (150 lb), similar to a modern sheep.[1] It had three toes, only one of which touched the ground. This toe had a large hoof; the two outer toes were rudimentary, much like those of early horses such as Merychippus. Unlike horses, however, Diadiaphorus lacked fused limb bones. Its skull was short and had a relatively large brain cavity. Judging from its low molars, Diadiaphorus ate soft vegetation, such as leaves.[2]

References
  1. D. Patterson, Bruce (2012) Bones, Clones, and Biomes: The History and Geography of Recent Neotropical Mammals p.92
  2. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 247. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.


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