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Fossils of Bolivia

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Caenolestidae
family of mammals
Megatherium
Megatherium ( ; from Greek () 'great' + () 'beast') is an extinct genus of large ground sloths endemic to South America that lived from the Early Pliocene through the end of the Late Pleistocene. It is best known for the elephant-sized, type species Megatherium americanum, primarily known from the Pampas, but ranging southwards to northernmost Patagonia and northwards to southern Bolivia during the late Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene. Various other species have been described, including those belonging to the Andean subgenus Pseudomegatherium, which range in size from comparable to M.
Glyptodon
Glyptodon (; ) is a genus of glyptodont, an extinct group of large, herbivorous armadillos that lived from the Pliocene, around 3.2 million years ago, to the early Holocene, around 11,000 years ago, in South America. It is one of, if not the, best-known genera of glyptodont. Glyptodon has a long and storied past, being the first named extinct cingulate and the type genus of the subfamily Glyptodontinae. Fossils of Glyptodon have been recorded as early as 1814 from Pleistocene aged deposits from Uruguay, though many were incorrectly referred to the ground sloth Megatherium by early paleontologi
Macrauchenia
Macrauchenia ("long llama", based on the now-invalid llama genus, Auchenia, from Greek "big neck") is an extinct genus of large ungulate native to South America from the Pliocene or Middle Pleistocene to the end of the Late Pleistocene. It was one of the last surviving members of the extinct order Litopterna, a group of South American native ungulates distinct from the two orders which contain all living ungulates which had been present in South America since the early Cenozoic, over 60 million years ago, prior to the arrival of living ungulates in South America around 2.5 million years ago as
Toxodon
Toxodon (from Ancient Greek τόξον (tóxon), meaning "bow", and ὀδούς (odoús), meaning "tooth", in reference to the curvature of the teeth) is an extinct genus of large ungulate native to South America from the Pliocene to the end of the Late Pleistocene. Toxodon is a member of Notoungulata, an order of extinct South American native ungulates distinct from the two living ungulate orders that had been indigenous to the continent for over 60 million years since the early Cenozoic, prior to the arrival of living ungulates into South America around 2.5 million years ago during the Great American Int
Glossopteris
Glossopteris (etymology: from Ancient Greek γλῶσσα, glôssa 'tongue' + πτερίς, pterís 'fern') is the largest and best-known genus of the extinct Permian order of seed plants known as Glossopteridales (also known as Arberiales, Ottokariales, or Dictyopteridiales). The name Glossopteris refers only to leaves, within the framework of form genera used in paleobotany, used for leaves of plants belonging to the glossopterid family Dictyopteridiaceae.
Arctotherium
Arctotherium ("bear beast") is an extinct genus of short-faced bears endemic to Central and South America from the Late Pliocene to the end of the Late Pleistocene. Arctotherium migrated from North America to South America during the Great American Interchange, following the formation of the Isthmus of Panama during the late Pliocene.
Eremotherium
Eremotherium (from Greek for "steppe" or "desert" "beast": ἔρημος "steppe or desert" and θηρίον "beast") is an extinct genus of giant ground sloth in the family Megatheriidae. Eremotherium lived in southern North America, Central America, and northern South America. It was one of the largest sloths, with a body size comparable to elephants, weighing around and measuring about long, slightly larger than its close relative Megatherium.
Sacabambaspis
Sacabambaspis is an extinct genus of armored jawless fish which lived in the Ordovician period. Sacabambaspis inhabited shallow waters on the continental margins of the southern supercontinent Gondwana. The most complete specimens have been found in Bolivia, while armor fragments are also known from Argentina, Australia, and Oman. Sacabambaspis vaguely resembles a slender tadpole, with an oversized armor-plated head, flat body, and no discernible fins outside of its narrow tail. The eyes are closely spaced and positioned at the very front of the head, akin to car headlamps. It was about long i
Cuvieronius
Cuvieronius is an extinct New World genus of gomphothere which ranged from southern North America to northwestern South America during the Pleistocene epoch. Reaching a shoulder height of and a body mass of , it was comparable in size to an Asian elephant. Cuvieronius inhabited subtropical and tropical latitudes in environments ranging from grasslands to tropical rainforest. Among the last gomphotheres along with the South American Notiomastodon, it became extinct as part of the end Pleistocene-extinction event, approximately 12-11,000 years ago, along with most other large mammals in the Amer
Hippidion
Hippidion (meaning "little horse" in Ancient Greek) is an extinct genus of equine that lived in South America from the Late Pliocene to the end of the Late Pleistocene (Lujanian), between 2.5 million and 11,000 years ago. Hippidion arrived in South America along with many other animals of North American origin as part of the Great American Interchange. They were one of two lineages of equines native to South America during the Pleistocene epoch, alongside Equus (Amerhippus) neogeus. Hippidion ranged widely over South America, extending to the far south of Patagonia. Hippidion differs from livi
Peltephilus
thumb|Skull of P. ferox Peltephilus, the horned armadillo, is an extinct genus of armadillo xenarthran mammals that first inhabited Argentina during the Oligocene epoch, and became extinct in the Miocene epoch. Notably, the scutes on its head were so developed that they formed horns. Aside from the horned gophers of North America, it is the only known fossorial horned mammal.
Platygonus
Platygonus ("flat head" in reference to the straight shape of the forehead) is an extinct genus of herbivorous peccaries of the family Tayassuidae, endemic to North and South America from the Miocene through Pleistocene epochs (10.3 million to 11,000 years ago), existing for about . P. compressus stood tall.
Astraspis
Astraspis ('star shield') is an extinct, monotypic genus of primitive jawless fish from the Ordovician of Central North America including the Harding Sandstone of Colorado and Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. It is also known from Bolivia. It is related to other Ordovician fishes, such as the South American Sacabambaspis, and the Australian Arandaspis.
Cimolestes
Cimolestes (from Ancient Greek , 'chalk robber') is a genus of early eutherians with a full complement of teeth adapted for eating insects and other small animals. Paleontologists have disagreed on its relationship to other mammals, in part because quite different animals were assigned to the genus, making Cimolestes a grade taxon of animals with similar features rather than a genus of closely related ones. Fossils have been found in North America, South America, Europe and Africa. Cimolestes first appeared during the Late Cretaceous of North America. According to some paleontologists, Cimoles
Enchodus
Enchodus (from , 'spear' and 'tooth') is an extinct genus of aulopiform ray-finned fish related to lancetfish and lizardfish. Species of Enchodus flourished during the Late Cretaceous, where they were a widespread component of marine ecosystems worldwide, and there is some evidence that they may have survived to the Paleocene or Eocene; however, this may just represent reworked Cretaceous material.
Glossotherium
Glossotherium is an extinct genus of large mylodontid ground sloths of the subfamily Mylodontinae. It represents one of the best-known members of the family, along with Mylodon and Paramylodon. Reconstructed animals were between long and possibly weighed up to 1,002.6–1,500 kg. The majority of finds of Glossotherium date from the Middle and Upper Pleistocene, around 300,000 to 10,000 years ago, with a few dating older, as far back Pliocene, about 3.3-3 million years ago. The range included large parts of South America, east of the Andes roughly from latitude 20 to 40 degrees south, leavin
Scelidotherium
Scelidotherium is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Late Pleistocene epoch. It lived from 780,000 to 11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .
Pyrotherium
Pyrotherium (from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr), meaning "fire", and θηρίον (theríon), meaning "beast") is an extinct genus of South American ungulates, in the order Pyrotheria, that lived in what is now Argentina and Bolivia during the Late Oligocene. It was named Pyrotherium because the first specimens were excavated from an ancient volcanic ash deposit. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Deseado and Sarmiento Formations of Argentina and the Salla Formation of Bolivia.
Hapalops
thumb|left|Life restoration of Hapalops longiceps and Propalaehoplophorus australis thumb|left|Skeleton
Mixotoxodon
Mixotoxodon ("mixture Toxodon") is an extinct genus of notoungulate of the family Toxodontidae inhabiting South America, Central America and parts of southern North America during the Pleistocene epoch, from 1,800,000–12,000 years ago.
Protocyon
Protocyon (from Greek for "first dog") is an extinct genus of large canid endemic to South and Central America from the Late Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene.
Theosodon
Theosodon is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal from the Early to Middle Miocene of South America.
Parahelicoprion
Parahelicoprion is an extinct genus of shark-like cartilaginous fish that lived during the Early Permian. The genus contains two species: P. clerci from the Arta Beds of the Ural Mountains of Russia, and P. mariosuarezi from the Copacabana Formation of Bolivia. Members of the genus possessed a row of large tooth crowns on the midline of the lower jaw, known as a tooth whorl. The characteristics of this whorl are unique to fishes of the order Eugeneodontida, and more specifically the family Helicoprionidae to which Parahelicoprion belongs. The genus name refers to Helicoprion, another eugeneodo
Slimonia
Slimonia is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of Slimonia have been discovered in deposits of Silurian age in South America and Europe. Classified as part of the family Slimonidae alongside the related Salteropterus, the genus contains three valid species, S. acuminata from Lesmahagow, Scotland, S. boliviana from Cochabamba, Bolivia and S. dubia from the Pentland Hills of Scotland and one dubious species, S. stylops, from Herefordshire, England. The generic name is derived from and honors Robert Slimon, a fossil collector and surgeon from Lesmahagow.
Mourasuchus
Mourasuchus is an extinct genus of giant, aberrant caiman from the Miocene of South America. Its skull has been described as duck-like, being broad, flat, and very elongate, superficially resembling Stomatosuchus from the Late Cretaceous.
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.
Protypotherium
Protypotherium is an extinct genus of notoungulate mammals native to South America during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs. A number of closely related animals date back further, to the Eocene. Fossils of Protypotherium have been found in the Deseadan Fray Bentos Formation of Uruguay, Muyu Huasi and Nazareno Formations of Bolivia, Cura-Mallín and Río Frías Formations of Chile, and Santa Cruz, Salicas, Ituzaingó, Aisol, Cerro Azul, Cerro Bandera, Cerro Boleadoras, Chichinales, Sarmiento and Collón Curá Formations of Argentina.
Notiomastodon
Notiomastodon is an extinct genus of gomphothere proboscidean (related to modern elephants), endemic to South America from the Pleistocene to the early Holocene. Individuals of Notiomastodon reached a size similar to that of the modern Asian elephant, with a body mass of 3-4 tonnes. Like other brevirostrine gomphotheres such as Cuvieronius and Stegomastodon, Notiomastodon had a shortened lower jaw and lacked lower tusks, unlike more primitive gomphotheres like Gomphotherium.
Panochthus
Panochthus is an extinct genus of glyptodont, which lived in the Gran Chaco-Pampean region of Argentina (Lujan, Yupoí and Agua Blanca Formations), Brazil (Jandaíra Formation), Bolivia (Tarija and Ñuapua Formations), Paraguay and Uruguay (Sopas and Dolores Formations) during the Pleistocene epoch. The first specimen of Panochthus consisted of two carapace (shell) fragments, now lost, recovered from Buenos Aires. In 1845, the fragments were referred by Sir Richard Owen to the genus Glyptodon. In 1864, working from more complete remains, Karl Hermann Konrad Burmeister erected Panochthus as a subg
Lestodon
Lestodon is an extinct genus of giant ground sloth native to South America during the Pleistocene epoch. Its fossil remains have primarily been found in the Pampas and adjacent regions. The largest member of the family Mylodontidae, It is estimated to have weighed . It was a herbivore and primarily fed on the grasses and low-growing plants.
Hemiauchenia
Hemiauchenia is an extinct genus of lamine camelids that evolved in North America in the Miocene epoch about 10 million years ago. This genus diversified and entered South America in the Late Pliocene about three to two million years ago, as part of the Great American Biotic Interchange. The genus became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene. The monophyly of the genus has been considered questionable, with phylogenetic analyses finding the genus to paraphyletic or polyphyletic, with some species suggested to be more closely related to living lamines (llamas and relatives) than to other Hemiau
Proborhyaena
Proborhyaena is an extinct genus of proborhyaenid sparassodont that lived during the Oligocene of South America. It is considered to be the largest of the sparassodonts.
Pucadelphys andinus
Pucadelphys is an extinct genus of non-marsupial metatherian. The genus contains a single species, P. andinus. Fossils of Pucadelphys have been found in the Santa Lucía Formation in Tiupampa in Bolivia.
Ampyx
genus of arthropods (fossil)
Yacarerani
thumb|upright|left|Restoration
Alcidedorbignya
Alcidedorbignya is an extinct pantodont mammal known from the Early Paleocene (Tiupampan SALMA, ) Santa Lucia Formation (, paleocoordinates ) at Tiupampa near Mizque, Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Birgeria
Birgeria is a genus of carnivorous marine ray-finned fish from the Triassic period. Birgeria had a global distribution, with fossil known from Madagascar, Spitsbergen, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, China, Russia, Canada and Nevada, United States. The oldest fossils are from Griesbachian aged beds of the Wordie Creek Formation of East Greenland. Birgeria existed throughout the entire Triassic period, from the very beginning just after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, up to the very end with its extinction during the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction.
Leptaena
Leptaena is an extinct genus of mid-sized brachiopod that existed from the Dariwilian epoch to the Emsian epoch, though some specimens have been found in strata as late in age as the Tournasian epoch. Like some other Strophomenids, Lepteana were epifaunal, meaning they lived on top of the seafloor, not buried within it, and were suspension feeders.
Coniophis
alt=Coniophis sp. snake vertebra|thumb|Coniophis sp. vertebra Coniophis is an extinct genus of snakes from the late Cretaceous period. The type species, Coniophis precedes, was about 7 cm long and had snake-like teeth and body form, with a skull and a largely lizard-like bone structure. It probably ate small vertebrates, such as lizards and salamanders. The fossil remains of Coniophis were first discovered at the end of the 19th century in the Lance Formation of the US state of Wyoming, and were described in 1892 by Othniel Charles Marsh. For the genus Coniophis, a number of other species
Rhynchippus
Rhynchippus ("beaked horse") is an extinct genus of notoungulate mammals from the Late Oligocene (Deseadan in the SALMA classification) of South America. The genus was first described by Florentino Ameghino in 1897 and the type species is R. equinus, with lectotype MACN A 52–31. Fossils of Rhynchippus have been found in the Agua de la Piedra and Sarmiento Formations of Argentina, the Salla and Petaca Formations of Bolivia, the Tremembé Formation of Brazil, and the Moquegua Formation of Peru.
Phareodus
Phareodus is a genus of freshwater fish from the Paleocene to Eocene of North America.
Kuntinaru
Kuntinaru is an extinct genus of tolypeutine chlamyphorid armadillo which existed in Bolivia, during the Late Oligocene (Deseadan age). It is known from the holotype MNHN-SAL 1024, skull missing the apex of the rostrum and the paratype MNHN-SAL 3, second skull missing the apex of the rostrum, recovered from the Salla Formation, Salla, Department of La Paz, Bolivia. It was first named by Guillaume Billet, Lionel Hautier, Christian de Muizon and Xavier Valentin in 2011 and the type species is Kuntinaru boliviensis.
Catonyx
Catonyx is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family Scelidotheriidae, endemic to South America during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. It lived from 2.5 Ma to about 10,000 years ago, existing for approximately . The most recent date obtained is about 9600 B.P.
Zulmasuchus
Zulmasuchus (meaning "Zulma Gasparini's crocodile") is an extinct genus of sebecid sebecosuchian mesoeucrocodylian. Its fossils have been found in Early Paleocene-age rocks (Danian stage) of the Santa Lucía Formation in Bolivia. Zulmasuchus was named in 2007 by Alfredo Paolillo and Omar Linares for fossils originally described by Buffetaut and Marshall in 1991 as Sebecus querejazus. Thus, the type species is Sebecus querezajus and the combinatio nova is Zulmasuchus querejazus.
Propalaehoplophorus
Propalaehoplophorus, also written as Propalaeohoplophorus, is an extinct genus of glyptodont, which lived in South America during the Early Miocene epoch.
Xenastrapotherium
alt=Reconstruction of the astrapothere Xenastrapotherium christi. Artwork created with graphite and colored pencils. Author: Edwin Chávez "Disfrasaurio".|thumb|Paleoart of Xenastrapotherium christi. Artwork by Edwin Chávez "Disfrasaurio". Xenastrapotherium is an extinct genus of astrapothere, a type of hoofed herbivorous mammal, native to South America, which lived in the Middle to Late Miocene period, typically during the Laventan stage. It is a member of the family Astrapotheriidae in the subfamily Uruguaytheriinae, large astrapotheres, equipped with a trunk-like nose and protruding teeth, s
Theriodictis
Theriodictis is an extinct monotypic genus of cerdocyonine canid endemic to South America during the Middle Pleistocene.
Trachytherus
Trachytherus is an extinct genus of mesotheriid notoungulate that lived from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene in what is now South America.
Morenelaphus
Morenelaphus is an extinct genus of capreoline deer that lived in South America during the Pleistocene, ranging from the Pampas to southern Bolivia and Northeast Brazil. There is only a single recognised species, Morenelaphus brachyceros. It was a large deer, with some specimens estimated to exceed 200 kilograms in body mass. The antlers were over 70 cm in length, and are superficially similar those of deer belonging to the subfamily Cervinae, like red deer. Fossils of the genus have been recovered from the Agua Blanca, Fortín Tres Pozos and Luján Formations of Argentina, the Ñuapua Formation
Pseudoglyptodon chilensis
Pseudoglyptodon is a genus of extinct sloths from South America. The type species is Pseudoglyptodon sallaensis.
Cynodontosuchus
Cynodontosuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian. Fossils have been found from Argentina of Late Cretaceous age from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (dating back to the Santonian), the Pichi Picun Leufu Formation (dating back to the Coniacian and Santonian). the Tiupampan Santa Lucía Formation of Bolivia.
Pharsophorus
Pharsophorus is an extinct genus of borhyaenoid sparassodont that inhabited South America during the Middle to Late Oligocene epoch.
Andinodelphys
Andinodelphys is an extinct genus of non-marsupial stem metatherian.
Hondalagus
Hondalagus is an extinct genus of mammals that lived during the Middle Miocene epoch (Laventan) in South America. Their fossils were found in the Honda Group at Quebrada Honda, in southern Bolivia. Hondalagus represents the smallest and most specialized member of the extinct family Argyrolagidae.
Acrecebus fraileyi
Acrecebus is a prehistoric cebid monkey from the Late Miocene Solimões Formation of Acre State, Brazil and Bolivia. The only species known is A. fraileyi. This genus is closely related to the genus Cebus.
Reigomys
Reigomys primigenus is an extinct oryzomyine rodent known from Pleistocene deposits in Tarija Department, southeastern Bolivia. It is known from a number of isolated jaws and molars which show that its molars were almost identical to those of the living Lundomys. On the other hand, the animal possesses a number of derived traits of the palate which document a closer relationship to living Holochilus, the genus of South American marsh rats, and for this reason it was placed in the genus Holochilus when it was first described in 1996. The subsequent discoveries of Noronhomys and Carletonomys, wh
Miocochilius
Miocochilius is an extinct genus of small notoungulate mammals (typotheres) native to South America. The genus lived during the Middle Miocene epoch (Laventan in the SALMA classification). The genus contains two described species, the type species M. anomopodus described in 1953 by Ruben Arthur Stirton and M. federicoi, described and included in the genus by Darin A. Croft.
Prozaedyus
Prozaedyus is an extinct genus of chlamyphorid armadillo that lived during the Middle Oligocene and Middle Miocene in what is now South America.
Nothrotherium
Nothrotherium is an extinct genus of medium-sized ground sloth from South America (Bolivia, Brazil and the Ware Formation, La Guajira, Colombia). It differs from Nothrotheriops in smaller size and differences in skull and hind leg bones.