Deuterotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Deuterotherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 29–21 million years ago (Rupelian to Aquitanian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Proterotheriidae |
| Named by | Ameghino 1895 |
| Fossil records | 6 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Argentina |
| Rock formations | Sarmiento, Deseado |
About Deuterotherium
Deuterotherium is an extinct genus of South American native ungulates, which lived during the Deseadan age of the Oligocene in what is now Argentina. Its type species is Deuterotherium distichum. It was named by Florentino Ameghino in 1895. The holotype of Deuterotherium distichum is a calcaneum. It was formerly identified as a proterotheriid litoptern. In 1999, Shockey argued Deuterotherium was certainly not a litoptern and interpreted it as a notohippid notoungulate. In research by Soria posthumously published in 2001, Soria considered Deuterotherium a nomen dubium.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Deuterotherium (revision 1230222507), 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: Q8355162.
