Prototherium

Prototherium is a genus of extinct sirenian related to the dugong. It is known from middle (Bartonian) and upper Eocene deposits in Italy and Spain. Type species is P. veronenses (Zigno, 1887^[1])

P. veronense skull

Prototherium Temporal range: Middle Eocene–Late Eocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Mounted P. veronense skeleton
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Sirenia
Family:	Dugongidae
Subfamily:	†Halitheriinae
Genus:	Prototherium de Zigno, 1887
Species
Prototherium veronense (de Zigno, 1887) (type) Prototherium ausetanum Balaguer & Alba, 2016 Prototherium intermedium Bizzotto, 1983

Three species are now included in the genus, but their phylogenetic relations are not resolved and possibly one of them Prototherium intermedium Bizzotto 1983^[2] must be excluded. In the same way, relations between Prototherium and other genus are confused and need revision. A third species was described in Spain in 2016, P.ausetanum^[3].

Related species

• Metaxytherium
• Rytiodus

See also

• Paleontology portal

• Evolution of sirenians

References

1. (de) Zigno, Achille. "Quelques observations sur les siréniens fossiles". Bull.Soc. Geol. France. 15: 728–732.
2. Bizzotto, Bruno. "Prototherium intermedium n. sp. (Sirenia) dell'EoceneSuperiore di Possagno e proposta di revisione sistematica del taxon Eotheroides Palmer, 1899". Mem. Ist. Geol. Mineral. Univ. Padova. 36: 95–116.
3. Balaguer, J. & Alba, D. (2016). "A new dugong species (Sirenia, Dugongidae) from the Eocene of Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula)". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 15 (5): 489–500. Bibcode:2016CRPal..15..489B. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2015.10.002.