The Deseado Formation of PatagoniaLoomis, Frederic Brewster
Science
The Deseado Formation of Patagonia
Loomis, Frederic Brewster
Paleontology -- Patagonia (Argentina and Chile)
The relatively small olfactory lobes are entirely beneath the frontal
lobes and are seen only on the side view, but as there is a large
hippocampal lobe behind them, it would only seem proper to attribute
to these animals a well-developed sense of smell. The frontal lobes
are unexpectedly large, and are not clearly bounded off from the
parietal lobes. The occipital lobes are also well developed and make
a large portion of the backward extension of the cerebrum. The large
size of this area, together with the fact that the optic nerves are
large, indicates a good visual development. The temporal lobes are also
large and extend well down on either side. And, finally, below all the
others, come the swollen hippocampal lobes which complete this large
cerebrum.
The cerebellum is small having neither considerable width or height,
and being overlapped by the cerebrum. The optic nerves are represented
by large projections leaving the twixt-brain well forward under the
forebrain. The medulla is not clearly marked except to show that it,
too, was of fair size.
[Illustration: Fig. 47. Cast of the brain; _A_, from above; _B_, from
the side—natural size. _Cer_, cerebellum; _F_, frontal lobe; _H_,
hippocampal lobe; _Oct_, occipital lobe; _Op_, optic nerve; _T_,
temporal lobe; _x_, cast of cavity in squamosal bone; _Na_, case of
interior of nasal cavity.]
Just behind the hippocampal lobes, and connecting with the cerebellum
appear two striking projections. These represent the two large cavities
in the upper part of the squamosum which are so characteristic of
typotheres. The two large cavities clearly opened into the brain case
by a broad connection which is especially wide at the lower ends. I
find no traces of a connection with the bulla as described by Sinclair
for _Pachyrukhos_. Further down are two small knobs apparently also
representing cavities in the squamosum, and also connected with the
brain case. In considering the brain these should be overlooked; but
they doubtless represent some nervous function to which I have as yet
no clue.
Ameghino considered that _Eutrachytherus_ was the connecting link
between _Archaeohyrax_ and _Typotherium_. I feel that this genus is
too highly specialized to be a connecting form, though it doubtless
belongs to the series which ends in _Typotherium_; and such a form as
_Argyrohyrax_ is more likely to be the really ancestral form.
Two species are described, _E. spegazzinianus_, and _E. conturbatus_,
which is about 15% smaller. Our collection offers a third species, _E.
grandis_, which is nearly 50% larger than the first named species.
=Eutrachytherus spegazzinianus= Ameghino
Trachytherus spegazzinianus Amegh., 1889, Act. Acad. Nac. Cienc.
Cordoba, t. VI, p. 919.
Trachytherus spegazzinianus Lydekker, 1894, Anal. Mus. La Plata, pt. 3,
p. 2.
Trachytherus spegazzinianus Amegh., 1895, Bol. Inst. Geog. Argen., t.
15, p. 622.
Eutrachytherus spegazzinianus Amegh., 1897, Bol. Inst. Geog. Argen., t.
18, p. 428.
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