Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Metaxytherium subapenninum

Mammalia - Sirenia - Dugongidae

Taxonomy
Cheirotherium subapenninum was named by Bruno (1839) [PU = Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia dell’Universita` di Torino, Torino, Italy.]. Its type specimen is PU 13889–13890, a skull (skull & partial skeleton), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was recombined as Halitherium subapenninum by Bronn (1853); it was recombined as Felsinotherium subapenninum by de Zigno (1878) and Abel (1904); it was recombined as Felsinotherium subappeninum by Trouessart (1898) and Trouessart (1904); it was recombined as Metaxytherium subappennium by Fondi and Pacini (1974); it was recombined as Metaxytherium subapenninum by PIlleri (1988), Domning (1994), Domning (1996), Sorbi et al. (2012) and Voss (2014).

Sister species lacking formal opinion data
M. subappeninum

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1839Cheirotherium subapenninum Bruno p. 160
1844Manatus brochii de Blainville
1844Cheirotherium brochii de Blainville p. 121
1846Metaxytherium brochii Laurillard p. 171
1847Halitherium brochii Gervais p. 221
1848Halianassa brochii Bronn p. 562
1853Halitherium subapenninum Bronn p. 789
1855Cheirotherium subapenninum Kaup p. 11
1872Felsinotherium forestii Capellini
1872Felsinotherium gervaisi Capellini p. 634
1878Felsinotherium subapenninum de Zigno p. 70
1878Felsinotherium gastaldi de Zigno p. 941 figs. Plates I-VI
1885Cheirotherium subapenninum Woodward p. 424
1885Felsinotherium forestii Woodward p. 424
1885Felsinotherium gervaisii Woodward p. 424
1887Halitherium forestii Lydekker p. 5
1898Felsinotherium forestii Trouessart p. 1005
1898Felsinotherium subappeninum Trouessart p. 1005
1904Felsinotherium subapenninum Abel p. 215
1904Felsinotherium foresti Trouessart p. 750
1904Felsinotherium subappeninum Trouessart p. 750
1910Felsinotherium subalpinum Isel p. 203
1925Felsinotherium forestii Zittel p. 265
1974Metaxytherium forestii Fondi and Pacini p. 37
1974Metaxytherium gastaldi Fondi and Pacini p. 45
1974Metaxytherium gervaisi Fondi and Pacini p. 45
1974Metaxytherium subappennium Fondi and Pacini p. 45
1988Metaxytherium subapenninum PIlleri pp. 56-57
1994Metaxytherium subapenninum Domning p. 189
1996Metaxytherium subapenninum Domning p. 387
2012Metaxytherium subapenninum Sorbi et al. p. 688
2014Metaxytherium subapenninum Voss p. 91 figs. Figure 3

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
RankNameAuthor
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—AfrotheriaStanhope et al. 1998
—Tethytheria
orderSirenia()
familyDugongidae
subfamilyHalitheriinae()
genusMetaxytherium
speciessubapenninum()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

show all | hide all
Invalid names: Cheirotherium brochii de Blainville 1844 [synonym], Felsinotherium forestii Capellini 1872 [synonym], Felsinotherium gastaldi de Zigno 1878 [synonym], Felsinotherium gervaisi Capellini 1872 [synonym], Felsinotherium subalpinum Isel 1910 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
S. Sorbi et al. 2012Differs from some or all other species of Metaxytherium by having: large body size (4–5 m); nasal process of premaxilla dorsally broadened; in- fraorbital foramen very large [c. 13(2)]; nasal incisure at posterior end of mesorostral fossa absent [c. 37(0)]; supracondylar fossa of exoccipital reduced and located dorsomedial to condyle, or lost [c. 67(3)]; palatines not extending anteriorly beyond poste- rior edge of zygomatic-orbital bridge [c. 99(1)]; tusks large [c. 140(2)]. M. subapenninum differs from M. serresii, its presumed immediate ancestor, in having dorsally broadened nasal process of premaxilla, very large infraorbital foramen [c. 13(2)], and large tusks [c. 140(2)]. M. subapenninum is provisionally defined as the terminal chronospecies (possibly spanning up to 2.7 Ma) of the Euro-North African Metaxytherium lineage, until such time as better evidence shows that evolution in tusk morphology within this species justifies recognition of its latest members as a distinct chronospecies (“M. gastaldi”).
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinef
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: aquaticf
Diet: herbivoref
Reproduction: viviparousf
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2005-06-08 12:11:09
Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Domning 1979, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1991

Age range: base of the Early/Lower Miocene to the top of the Zanclean or 23.03000 to 3.60000 Ma

Collections (20 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Miocene - Late/Upper Miocene23.03 - 5.333Italy Felsinotherium forestii (59281)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Tuscany) Metaxytherium forestii (80539) Metaxytherium gervaisi (55748) Metaxytherium subapenninum (190383)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Siena) Metaxytherium gervaisi (45497) Metaxytherium subapenninum (80609)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Cuneo) Felsinotherium gastaldi (124389)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Savona) Metaxytherium subapenninum (124403 124816)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy Felsinotherium gastaldi (65248) Metaxytherium subapenninum (65250)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Campagnatico) Metaxytherium subapenninum (124817)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Monferrato Asti) Felsinotherium subapenninum (65157)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Genoa) Felsinotherium subapenninum (65167) Metaxytherium subapenninum (124818)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Italy (Bologna) Metaxytherium subapenninum (124402)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Spain Metaxytherium serresii (80849)
Ruscinian5.333 - 3.2Italy (Tuscany) Felsinotherium gervaisi (49335)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Spain Metaxytherium subapenninum (127487)
Zanclean - Piacenzian5.333 - 2.588Italy Felsinotherium forestii (59273)