Prototherium Explained

Prototherium is a genus of extinct sirenian related to the dugong. It is known from middle (Bartonian) and upper Eocene deposits in Italy and Spain. Type species is P. veronenses (Zigno, 1887^[1]) Three species are now included in the genus, but their phylogenetic relations are not resolved and possibly one of them Prototherium intermedium Bizzotto 1983^[2] must be excluded. In the same way, relations between Prototherium and other genus are confused and need revision. A third species was described in Spain in 2016, P.ausetanum^[3] .

Related species

• Metaxytherium
• Rytiodus

See also

• Evolution of sirenians

Notes and References

1. (de) Zigno. Achille. Quelques observations sur les siréniens fossiles.. Bull.Soc. Geol. France. 15. 728–732.
2. Bizzotto. Bruno. Prototherium intermedium n. sp. (Sirenia) dell'EoceneSuperiore di Possagno e proposta di revisione sistematica del taxon Eotheroides Palmer, 1899.. Mem. Ist. Geol. Mineral. Univ. Padova. 36. 95–116.
3. Balaguer, J.. Alba, D.. amp. A new dugong species (Sirenia, Dugongidae) from the Eocene of Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). Comptes Rendus Palevol. 2016 . 15. 5 . 489–500. 10.1016/j.crpv.2015.10.002. free. 2016CRPal..15..489B .