Pyrotherium

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Pyrotherium Fossil range: Early Oligocene
Pyrotherium romeroi and Rhynchippus equinus
Conservation status
Extinct (fossil)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Pyrotheria Family: Pyrotheriidae Genus: Pyrotherium Ameghino, 1888

Pyrotherium ('fire beast') is an extinct genus of South American ungulate, of the order Pyrotheria, that lived in what is now Argentina, during the Early Oligocene. The vaguely elephant-like Pyrotherium was 3 m (10 ft) long and 1.50 m (5 ft) tall at the shoulders. Its heavy body was carried by robust legs. Pyrotherium also had a short trunk on its snout, and flat, forward facing tusks (two in the upper jaw, one in the lower one). Possible South American descendants of the xenungulates, the complete study of the tarsus of Pyrotherium fails to support the relationship of pyrotheres with the Xenungulata. They are best represented by Oligocene Pyrotherium, a poorly known animal. Derived characters were not seen in any mammal examined except the embrithopod Arsinoitherium from the Tertiary of Africa. Whether this is due to common ancestry or the unusual mode of locomotion used by these animals (graviportal and plantigrade) remains to be seen. It was named "Fire Beast" because the first specimens were excavated from an ancient volcanic ashfall.

Restoration of P. romeroi out of the water