Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Ordo: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohort: Theria
Cohort: Eutheria
Cohort: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Laurasiatheria
Superordo: †Meridiungulata
Ordo: †Pyrotheria
Familia: †Pyrotheriidae
Name
Pyrotheria Ameghino, 1895
References
McKenna, M. C. & Bell, S. K. (eds.). Classification of mammals; above the species level. Columbia University Press, New York, 1997.
Vernacular names
català: Piroteris
English: Pyrotheres
español: Piroterios
italiano: Piroteri
русский: Пиротерии
Pyrotheria is an order of extinct meridiungulate mammals. These mastodon-like ungulates include the genera Baguatherium, Carolozittelia, Colombitherium, Gryphodon, Propyrotherium, Proticia, and Pyrotherium.[1]
They had the appearance of large, digitigrade, tapir-like mammals with relatively short, slender limbs and five-toed feet with broad, flat phalanges. Their fossils are restricted to Paleocene through Oligocene deposits of Brazil, Peru and Argentina.
Some experts place the clade Xenungulata (which contains several genera, including Carodnia) within Pyrotheria, even when dentition, although bilophodont in both orders, is very different. For most scholars, the two orders remain separated. The dentition is complete with strong, procumbent, chisel-shaped incisors, strong sharp-pointed canines, and low-crowned cheek teeth with bilophodont molars. The affinities of the Xenungulata remain uncertain. Affinities with the Dinocerata are strongly supported by the dental characteristics. Initial study of the structure of the tarsus suggested that the xenungulates had a common ancestry with typical pyrotheres, such as Pyrotherium,[2] but a more recent examination of the tarsus of Pyrotherium failed to support this, instead showing some traits shared by Pyrotherium and the Embrithopoda.[3] It remains to be seen which of these views will turn out to be right. This means that the Pyrotheria could be members of no less than three major cladistic branches of placental mammals: Meridiungulata (if xenungulates are the closest relatives)[clarification needed], Laurasiatheria (if dinoceratans are the closest relatives) and Afrotheria (if embrithopods are the closest relatives).
Classification
Colombitheriidae
Proticia
Colombitherium
Pyrotheriidae
Pyrotherium
Griphodon
Propyrotherium
Carolozittelia
References
Salas, R.; Sánchez, J. & Chacaltana, C. (2006). "A new pre-Deseadan pyrothere (Mammalia) from northern Peru and the wear facets of molariform teeth of Pyrotheria". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 26 (3): 760–769. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[760:ANPPMF]2.0.CO;2.
Cifelli, R.L. (1983). "Eutherian tarsals from the late Paleocene of Brazil". American Museum Novitates (2761): 1–31.
Shockey, B.J. & Anaya, F. (2004). "Pyrotherium macfaddeni, sp. nov. (late Oligocene, Bolivia) and the pedal morphology of pyrotheres". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24 (2): 481–488. doi:10.1671/2521. S2CID 83680724.
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