Diadiaphorus ( Latin Diadiaphorus , from other Greek. Δια- and διάφορος , "very different") is a genus of extinct mammals from the prototerium group of the lithoptern order, who lived in South America in the early Miocene .
| † Diadiaphorus |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Squadron : | † South American Ungulates |
| Superfamily : | † Protherotheroidea |
| Subfamily : | † Proterotheriinae |
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| International scientific name |
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Diadiaphorus Ameghino , 1887 |
| Synonyms |
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- according to Fossilworks [1] :
- Bunodontherium Mercerat, 1891
- Epitherium Ameghino, 1888
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In appearance, the diadiaphoruses strongly resembled horses and notogippyds , however, the body length was only 1.2 m, as in a modern sheep. There were three fingers on the limbs, of which only one touched the ground. This finger was equipped with a large hoof evolving from the claw; the two outer fingers were rudimentary, like early equine fingers (such as the merikippus ). Unlike horses, diadiaphoruses did not have fused limb bones.
The skull was short, but the cavity for the brain was quite large. Judging by the lower molars, the diadiaphorus fed on soft plant foods, for example, leaves [2] .
