History:Metatitan
Metatitan is an extinct genus of brontotheriid mammal from Eocene Mongolia.[1]
Description
Metatitan is known from cranial and mandibular remains. The genus has wide nasals and a small post-canine diastema. The canines of Metatitan are enlarged. They had nasal horns similar to other brontotheres, with the horns pointing forwards in all species. Uniquely, the horns of even the latest species are smaller in comparison to contemporary brontotheres.[2] The molars are elongate and crowned, whilst the incisors are small.[2][3] The incisor formula of Metatitan is closer to more basal brontotheres than more derived members of the clade.[2][3]
Classification
Metatitan is currently considered a relative of Gnathotitan and Embolotherium, and is suspected to have evolved from Rhinotitan.[4] Historically, it was suggested that Metatitan represents females of Embolotherium, as a form of sexual dimorphism, though this is not generally accepted.[2] A generic synonymy with Brachydiastematherium has also been proposed,[5] though later writings by the same authors contest this.[4]
References
- ↑ "Metatitan ✝". https://www.mindat.org/taxon-4830418.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Granger, Walter; Gregory, William K. (1943). "A revision of the Mongolian titanotheres". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 80: 349–389. http://hdl.handle.net/2246/383. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "LARGE MAMMALS FOUND FROM HOULDJIN FORMATION NEAR ERENHOT, NEI MONGOL, CHINA" (in en). Vertebrata PalAsiatica 47 (2). 2009-06-15. ISSN 2096-9899. https://www.vertpala.ac.cn/EN/Y2009/V47/I2/85.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bai, Bin; Wang, Yuan-Qing; Li, Qian; Wang, Hai-Bing; Mao, Fang-Yuan; Gong, Yan-Xin; Meng, Jin (December 2018). "Biostratigraphy and Diversity of Paleogene Perissodactyls from the Erlian Basin of Inner Mongolia, China" (in en). American Museum Novitates (3914): 1–60. doi:10.1206/3914.1. ISSN 0003-0082. https://bioone.org/journals/american-museum-novitates/volume-2018/issue-3914/3914.1/Biostratigraphy-and-Diversity-of-Paleogene-Perissodactyls-from-the-Erlian-Basin/10.1206/3914.1.full.
- ↑ Mihlbachler, Matthew C.; Mihlbachler, Matthew C.; Lucas, Spencer G.; Emry, Robert J.; Bayshashov, Bolat (2004). A new brontothere (Brontotheriidae, Perissodactyla, Mammalia) from the Eocene of the Ily Basin of Kazakstan and a phylogeny of Asian "horned" brontotheres. New York, NY: American Museum of Natural History. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/177956.
Wikidata ☰ Q65201837 entry
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