''Notostylops'' ("south pillar face") is a genus of extinct South American ungulates from

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Sarmiento, Casamayor, Andesitas Huancache and Koluel Kaike Formations.''Notostylops''
at Fossilworks.org Image:Notostylopss.png, Size comparison of ''Notostylops murinus'' with a human. Image:Notostylops murinus Wikipedia Juandertal.jpg, Life reconstruction.

Description

''Notostylops'' was a very generalized animal, very similar to first eutherians and ungulates. It would have superficially resembled a marmot or a wombat and is suspected to have browsed on low-growing plants. It was probably adapted to a fairly wide range of ecological niches, but its robustness indicates it had some digging adaptations. Its tall skull housed

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

-like incisor teeth. ''Notostylops'' was about long.

References

* Notoungulates Prehistoric placental genera Eocene mammals of South America Divisaderan Mustersan Casamayoran Paleogene Argentina Fossils of Argentina Fossil taxa described in 1897 Taxa named by Florentino Ameghino Golfo San Jorge Basin Sarmiento Formation {{notoungulate-stub