Interatheriidae

Interatheriidae Temporal range: Late Paleocene–Late Miocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Notoungulata
Suborder:	†Typotheria
Family:	†Interatheriidae Ameghino, 1887
Subfamilies and Genera
†Interatheriinae †Archaeophylus †Caenophilus †Cochilius †Epipatriarchus †Interatherium †Medistylus †Miocochilius †Paracochilius †Plagiarthrus †Protypotherium †Munyiziinae †Munyizia †Notopithecinae †Antepithecus †Guilielmoscottia †Notopithecus †Transpithecus

Interatheriidae is an extinct family of notoungulate mammals from South America. Interatheriids are known from the Paleocene or Eocene through the Miocene (McKenna and Bell, 1997). These animals were principally small-sized, occupying a habitat like hares, marmots and vizcachas.The majority were very small, like rodents. This was a group that lasted a long time, from the Paleocene to the last of the Miocene.

Interatheriidae is one of the mammal groups that best represent the fauna from the Santa Cruz Formation. Particularly Protypotherium with three species is characteristic of the formation: Protypotherium australe, P. praerutilum and P. attenuatum. Another well-known genus is Interatherium, particularly well represented by I. robustum.

References

• McKenna, Malcolm C., and Bell, Susan K. 1997. Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pp. ISBN 0-231-11013-8