Identification of type materials of the species of Protypotherium Ameghino, 1885 and Patriarchus Ameghino, 1889 (Notoungulata: Interatheriidae) erected by Florentino Ameghino
Author
Fernández, Mercedes
Author
Fernicola, Juan Carlos
Author
Cerdeño, Esperanza
Author
Reguero, Marcelo A.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-02-28
4387
3
473
498
journal article
30626
10.11646/zootaxa.4387.3.4
43de8956-0706-4f8d-b5a9-f51c30c276d8
1175-5326
1187697
B53A6B20-5386-4E5A-A00F-A559EDF640DF
Patriarchus altus
Ameghino, 1891
Holotype.
MACN-A 4001 (
Figs. 4 C–D
), almost complete skull.
Paratype
.
MACN-A
3999, incomplete skull, and
MACN-A
4000, incomplete mandible, both of the same individual.
Diagnosis
(
Ameghino 1891: 293
). “
Igual conformación general que la especie precedente
[
Patriarchus leptocephalus
],
pero de tamaño mucho mayor; rostro más elevado y paladar un poco más ancho adelante. Longitud del cráneo, 102 milímetros; longitud de la serie dentaria superior, 59 milímetros; ancho interorbital de los frontales, 28 milímetros; longitud de los frontales, 30 milímetros. Los frontales no penetran adelante entre los nasales
”.
English translation. Same general configuration as the preceding species [
Patriarchus leptocephalus
], but much larger; higher rostrum and palate a little wider anteriorly. Length of the skull, 102 millimetres; length of upper tooth row, 59 millimetres; interorbital width of the frontals, 28 millimetres; length of the frontals, 30 millimetres. Frontals do not penetrate forward between the nasals.
Comments.
Ameghino (1891)
described this species, but did not add any figure of it. According to Ameghino’s catalogue, the skull MACN-A 4001 is the
type
of this species, whereas the cranial fragment MACN-A 3999 and its mandibular portion MACN-A 4000 are indicated each as “
tipo 2°
” (2nd
type
), meaning that they are
paratypes
.
Mones (1986)
also indicated MACN-A 3999 to MACN-A 4001 as the
type
specimens of
Pa. altus
, but did not distinguish between
type
and 2nd
type
. The skull MACN-A 4001 matches the original diagnosis as it is larger (length of C–M3 =
45.05 mm
) than the
holotype
of
Pa. leptocephalus
(length of C–M3 =
37.35 mm
), its rostrum is more elevated and the anterior region of the palate is wider. All the measurements (skull length =
103.25 mm
; length of the upper tooth row =
58.55 mm
; interorbital width of the frontals =
29.26 mm
; length of the frontals =
33 mm
) also match those provided by
Ameghino (1891)
. As a result, we confirm MACN-A 4001 as the
holotype
of
Pa. altus
. In the case of the individual MACN-A 3999 plus MACN-A 4000, it is also confirmed as the
paratype
because, despite the fact that MACN-A 3999 is not complete enough to take any of the given measurements, none of these specimens contradicts the diagnosis and both were recognised by Ameghino as “
tipo 2°
” when he acknowledged the
type
specimen.
In summary, we confirm MACN-A 4001 as the
holotype
of
Pa. leptocephalus
and the individual MACN-A 3999 plus MACN-A 4000 as the
paratype
of the species.
Chronological and geographical distribution of the
type
specimen.
Santacrucian
SALMA
,
Santa
Cruz Province
.