Theosodon
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Thesodon |
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Extinct (fossil)
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Theosodon lydekkeeri |
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Theosodon is an extinct genus of litoptern mammal.
The 2 m (6 ft 8 in) long creature resembled the modern guanaco. It had a long neck and tapir-like three-toed feet. Judging from the position of its nostrils, Theosodon had a short trunk, though shorter than its other relatives from the Macraucheniidae family, namely Macrauchenia. Theosodon was discovered with a full set of teeth, and its jaws, namely its lower mandible, were very thin and large [1]. The number of dental bones found within this animal's remains were 44, which happens to be the maximium amount of teeth found in any placental mammal. With this, Theosodon lived during the early Miocene and had more than the usual amount of teeth pertaining to most animals of the Cenozoic era.