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Protapirus
Sign in to saveProtapirus (Latin: "before" (pro), + Brazilian Indian: "tapir" (tapira)) is an extinct genus of tapir known from the Oligocene and Miocene of North America and Eurasia.
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Distribution and history
- Description
- References
Protapirus (Latin: "before" (pro), + Brazilian Indian: "tapir" (tapira)) is an extinct genus of tapir known from the Oligocene and Miocene of North America and Eurasia.
==Taxonomy== The type species is Protapirus priscus from the Late Oligocene of Quercy, France. Protapirus is often considered the earliest true tapir, or at least a tapiroid that is the direct ancestor of the true tapir family. left|thumb|P. simplex skull illustration. left|thumb|Mandible of Protapirus priscus.