Uruguaytherium is an extinct genus of astrapotherid mammal from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene of South America. It was named by the Argentinean paleontologist Lucas Kraglievich in 1928, from a fragmentary fossil found in the Fray Bentos Formation of the department of Río Negro in Uruguay, and the type and only is U. beaulieui. The related genera Xenastrapotherium and Granastrapotherium, which make up Uruguaytheriinae with Uruguaytherium, are also from South America, although them colonizated the equatorial zone. The holotype specimen of Uruguaytherium is a partial mandible (the left mandibular ramus), with a preserved third molar, or M3.

Phylogeny

Cladogram based in the phylogenetic analysis published by Vallejo-Pareja et al., 2015, showing the position of Uruguaytherium:

Eoastrapostylops
Trigonostylops Tetragonostylops Albertogaudrya Scaglia Astraponotus Maddenia Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Trigonostylops
Tetragonostylops Albertogaudrya Scaglia Astraponotus Maddenia Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Tetragonostylops
Albertogaudrya Scaglia Astraponotus Maddenia Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Albertogaudrya
Scaglia Astraponotus Maddenia Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Scaglia
Astraponotus Maddenia Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Astraponotus
Maddenia Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Maddenia
Comahuetherium Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Comahuetherium
Parastrapotherium Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Parastrapotherium
Astrapotheriinae Astrapotherium Astrapothericulus Uruguaytheriinae Uruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
AstrapotheriinaeAstrapotherium Astrapothericulus
Astrapotherium
Astrapothericulus
UruguaytheriinaeUruguaytherium Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Uruguaytherium
Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium Granastrapotherium
Hilarcotherium Xenastrapotherium
Hilarcotherium
Xenastrapotherium
Granastrapotherium

Further reading

  • L. Kraglievich, 1928. "Sobre el supuesto Astrapotherium Christi Stehlin descubierto en Venezuela (Xenastrapotherium n. gen.) y sus relaciones con Astrapotherium magnum y Uruguaytherium beaulieui". p. 1-16