Brachytherium fossil map
Where fossils of Brachytherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 10–3 million years ago (Tortonian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Proterotheriidae |
| Named by | Ameghino 1883 |
| Fossil records | 24 occurrences at 9 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina |
| Rock formations | Ituzaingo, Andalhuala, Chapadmalal, Puerto Belgrano, Cerro Azul, Epecuén |
About Brachytherium
Brachytherium is an extinct genus of proterotheriid mammal from the Late Miocene to Late Pliocene of Argentina. It is represented by the type and only species B. cuspidatum, a taxon named in 1883 by Ameghino for a partial mandible with teeth. Though it was considered a dubious taxon at times, Brachytherium was revised as valid by Schmidt in 2015, who also synonymized the species Proterotherium gradatum and Lophogonodon paranensis, expanding the material known, all of which is from the Ituzaingó Formation. Some material previously referred to Brachytherium has been given the new name Neobrachytherium.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Brachytherium (revision 1305959623), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q111828098.
