Argyromanis Explained

Argyromanis ("silver spirit"; the root -manis is frequently used in pangolins) is an extinct species of mammal of unknown affinities that lived in Argentina during the Miocene. It was described by prolific Argentine paleontologist Florentino Ameghino in 1904 on the basis of a single left astragalus (under specimen number MACN A-11687)^[1] that had been unearthed from the Santacrucian sediments of Santa Cruz, Argentina. Ameghino described it as a species of pangolin, even including this in the genus name's root -manis, after Manidae.^[2] The species name patagonica is after the fossil's discovery in Patagonia.^[3] However, later analyses of the astragalus have been inconclusive and find it to be an indeterminate genus of mammal.^{[4] [5]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Fossilworks: Argyromanis patagonica . 2023-06-11 . www.fossilworks.org.
2. Ameghino . Florentino . 1904 . Nuevas especies de mamíferos, cretáceos y terciarios de la República Argentina . Anales de la Sociedad Cientifica Argentina . 56-58 . 1–142.
3. Sharpe, D. (Ed.). (1912). Index Zoologicus No. II.: An Alphabetical List of Names of Genera and Subgenera Proposed for Use in Zoology as Recorded in the" Zoological Record," Vols. 38-47 Inclusive (1901-1910) and the Zoology Volumes of the" International Catalogue of Scientific Literature" Annual Issues 1-10, Together with Other Names Not Included in Previous Nomenclators (No. 2). Society.
4. Mones, A. (1986). Palaeovertebrata Sudamericana.-Catálogo Sistemático de los Vertebrados Fósiles de America-del Sur-Parte I. Lista Preliminar y Bibliografía.
5. Vizcaíno, S. F., & Bargo, M. S. (2014). Loss of ancient diversity of xenarthrans and the value of protecting extant armadillos, sloths and anteaters. Edentata, 15(2014), 27-38.