The Geographical Distribution of Animals, Volume 1: With a study of the relations of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the Earth's surfaceWallace, Alfred Russel
Science
The Geographical Distribution of Animals, Volume 1: With a study of the relations of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the Earth's surface
Wallace, Alfred Russel
Paleontology; Zoogeography
The Artiodactyla, or even-toed Ungulates, are represented by a species of
_Dicotyles_, or peccary, found in the deposits of the {147}Pampas; by
_Auchenia_, or llama, of which three extinct species inhabited Bolivia, in
which country two allied but extinct genera, _Palæolama_ and
_Camelotherium_, have also been found. Three species of deer (_Cervus_),
from the Pampas deposits, complete the list of Pliocene Ungulates.
_Proboscidea._--The cave species of _Mastodon_ is found also in the Pampas
deposits, and another in the Andes of Chili and Bolivia.
_Rodents._--These are not so numerous as in the caves. There are species of
the existing genera, _Kerodon_ and _Cavia_ (Caviidæ); _Lagostomus_
(Chinchillidæ); _Ctenomys_ (Octodontidæ); _Lepus_ (hare); _Hesperomys_ and
_Oxymycterus_ (Muridæ); _Arvicola_, a genus not living in South America;
and an extinct genus, _Cardiodus_. There is also a remarkable extinct form,
_Typotherium_, larger than the capybara, and having affinities to Edentates
and Ungulates. Three species have been found in the Pampas deposits.
_Edentata._--These are as abundant and remarkable as in the cave deposits.
_Scelidotherium_, _Megatherium_, _Megalonyx_, _Glossotherium_ and
_Dasypus_, have already been noticed as from the Brazilian caves. We have
here, in addition, the huge _Mylodon_ allied to the _Megatherium_, and the
allied genera--_Gnathopsis_ and _Lestodon_. We then come to the huge
extinct armadillos, _Glyptodon_ and _Schistopleurum_, the former consisting
of numerous species, some of which were as large as an elephant. Another
genus, _Eutatus_, is allied to the living three-banded armadillos; and a
species of the existing genus _Euphractus_ has been found in Bolivia.
_Toxodontidæ._--There remain a number of huge animals rivalling the
Megatherium in size, and forming the genera _Toxodon_ and _Nesodon_, but
whose position is doubtful. Several species have been found in the deposits
of the Pampas and Patagonia. They are allied at once to Ungulates, Rodents,
Edentates, and the aquatic Sirenia, in so puzzling a manner that it is
impossible to determine to what order they belong, or whether they require
a new order to be formed for their reception. Some are believed to date
back to the Miocene period, and they indicate what strange forms may still
be discovered, should any {148}productive deposits be found in South
America of middle Tertiary age.
_Pliocene Mammalia of the Antilles._--These may be noticed here, as they
are of special interest, proving the connection of the larger West Indian
Islands with the Continent some time in the later Tertiary period. They
consist of remains of two large animals belonging to the South American
Chinchillidæ, found in cave deposits in the island of Anguilla, and forming
two new genera, _Amblyrhiza_ and _Loxomylus_; and remain allied to
_Megalonyx_ from Cuba, which have been named _Megalocnus_ and _Myomorphus_.
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