Biology:Moqueguahippus

Short description: Extinct genus of notoungulates

Moqueguahippus Temporal range: Late Oligocene (Deseadan) ~28.4–23.03 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Notoungulata
Family:	†Notohippidae
Genus:	†Moqueguahippus Shockey et al. 2006
Species:	†M. glycisma
Binomial name
†Moqueguahippus glycisma Shockey et al., 2006

Moqueguahippus is an extinct genus of notohippid notoungulates that lived during the Late Oligocene of what is now Peru. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Moquegua Formation of Peru, which it was named after.

Etymology

The genus name, Moqueguahippus, refers to the Moquegua Formation where it was discovered, and -hippus meaning "horse", an epithet used to describe most notohippids. The specific name, glycisma, is derived from the Greek word Glykisma, meaning "cake", in reference to the type locality, Pan de Azucar, meaning "Sugarloaf Mountain".

Description

Moqueguahippus is a relatively large notohippid. Its skull was rather massive and had a short muzzle. The dentition was complete and continuous, lacking a diastema, and the premolars and molars were high-crowned (hypsodont), like in its relative Rhynchippus. The premolars had a well developed cingulum, while the molars were elongated. The shape of the premolars and molars was reminiscent to those of Equidae. Moqueguahippus, like its relatives, may have had a robust body with slender limbs. Its most peculiar distinctive characteristics were the cup-shaped internal cingula and the lack of cingula on the premolars, and a thick layer of cementum.

Taxonomy

Moqueguahippus was first described in 2006, based on fossilized remains found in the Moquegua Formation in Peru, in deposits dating to the Late Oligocene. Moqueguahippus was placed within the family Notohippidae, a family of toxodont notoungulates with horse-like teeth, with very high-crowned molars. More recent research, however, suggests that this group is paraphyletic, containing increasingly derived forms, some of them close to the ancestors of "true" Toxodontidae. In 2021, it was found to be a derived notohippid, being the sister taxon of a clade including the Miocene genera Argyrohippus and Notohippus.

The following position of the Toxodontia is based on Martínez et al. 2021, showing the position of Moqueguahippus.

Toxodontia	Pluerostylodon modicus       Anisotemnus distentus       Periphragnis harmeri     Thomashuxleya externa               Pampahippus arenalesi       Plexotemnus complicatissimus     Puelia coarctatus       Pampahippus secundus     Pampahippus powelli             Pampatemnus infernalis     Homalodotheriidae   Homalodotherium cunninghami     Asmodeus osbornii     Eutoxodontia Leontiniidae   Gualta cuyana       Coquenia bondi     Leontinia gaudryi     Scarrittia canquelensis             Pascualihippus boliviensis       Eomorphippus bondi       Eomorphippus obscurus     Rosendo pascuali             Eomorphippus neilopdykei     Morphippus imbricatus       Eurygenium latirostris     Eurygenium pacegnum         Patagonhippus canterensis     Patagonhippus dukei         Teushentherium camaronensis     Mendozahippus fierensis           Rhynchippus pumilus       Rhynchippus equinus     Rhynchippus brasiliensis             Moqueguahippus glycisma       Argyrohippus fraterculus     Argyrohippus praecox     Notohippus toxodontoides       Toxodontidae   Adinotherium ovinum     Nesodon imbricatus       Toxodon platensis     Posnanskytherium desaquaderoi

References

Wikidata ☰ Q114899371 entry