Embrithopoda

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Embrithopoda
Fossil range: Late Eocene - Early Oligocene

Arsinoitherium zitteli

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Eutheria
Superorder:	Afrotheria
Order:	Embrithopoda

Families

Arsinoitheriidae
Phenacolophidae

Embrithopoda is an extinct order of mammals which first appeared in the fossil record during the late Eocene and then died out during the Oligocene, 35+ million to 23 million years before the present.

Embrithopods bore a superficial resemblance to rhinoceroses, except that their horns had bony cores covered in keratinized skin, and were not made of hair, and not all embrithopods possessed horns, either. Despite their appearance, they were related to elephants, and were not perissodactyls.

The Embrithopoda are seen as close relatives of the Hyracoidea and may be the ancestors of Proboscidea. They are currently believed to be part of the cohort Afrotheria.

Fossils of Embrithopoda such as Arsinoitherium have been found in Egypt, Mongolia, Turkey and Romania, even though until the 1970's only Arsinoitherium itself was known, appearing isolated in the fossil record.