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
D. majusculus skull. Collected from Santa Cruz, Patagonia, Argentina.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Litopterna
Family: Proterotheriidae
Subfamily: Proterotheriinae
Genus: Diadiaphorus
Ameghino, 1887
Type species
Diadiaphorus majusculus
Ameghino, 1887
Species
  • D. caniadensis
  • D. majusculus Ameghino, 1887
  • D. paranensis
  • D. sanctaecrucis
  • D. velox
Synonyms
Genus synonymy
  • Bunodontherium
    Mercerat, 1891
D. majusculus
  • Bunodontherium majusculum
    Mercerat, 1891
  • Diadiaphorus diplinthus
    Ameghino, 1894
  • Diadiaphorus robustus
    Ameghino, 1894
  • Diadiaphorus coelops
    Ameghino, 1904

Description

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Size comparison between a human and D. majusculus.

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]

1901 skeletal illustration of D. majusculus, mostly based on bones from two separate individuals.
1913 illustration of D. majusculus by Charles R. Knight.

References

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  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.