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Patagomaia Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
holotype remains of Patagomaia chainko
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Subclass:	Theria
Genus:	†Patagomaia
Species:	†P. chainko
Binomial name
†Patagomaia chainko Chimento et al., 2024

Patagomaia is an extinct mammal of uncertain affinities, originally described as a therian mammal, from the Maastrichtian Chorrillo Formation of Argentina. It is the largest Mesozoic mammal yet known, with weight estimates of around 14 kilograms (31 lb). The type species is P. chainko.

Description

Patagomaia chainko is known from the distal end of the left ulna, two fragments of the preacetabular wing of the left ilium, acetabular region of the left hemipelvis, fragment of the ischial blade, proximal end of the right femur; distal end of the left femur, proximal end of the left tibia, and other indeterminate bone fragments. It is estimated to weigh over 14 kilograms (31 lb), narrowly beating the previous Mesozoic mammal contender, Repenomamus giganticus.

Classification

Patagomaia chainko is tentatively described as a therian mammal. However, it does not match any early Cenozoic South American therian group. Püschel et al. (2024) subsequently argued that Patagomaia might be a large gondwanatherian, possibly synonymous with Magallanodon, but Chimento, Agnolín & Novas (2024) did not consider their arguments to be conclusive.

Palaeoecology

Patagomaia chainko was found alongside the monotreme Patagorhynchus, the meridiolestidan Orretherium, the gondwanathere Magallanodon and several dinosaurs.

Implications

Alongside Malagasy gondwanatheres like Adalatherium and Vintana and South American mesungulatid meridiolestidans, Patagomaia chainko provides evidence that Late Cretaceous Gondwanan mammal faunas tended to achieve larger sizes than their northern counterparts.

References

1. ^ Chimento, Nicolás R.; Agnolín, Federico L.; García-Marsà, Jordi; Manabe, Makoto; Tsuihiji, Takanobu; Novas, Fernando E. (February 3, 2024). "A large therian mammal from the Late Cretaceous of South America". Scientific Reports. 14 (1): 2854. Bibcode:2024NatSR..14.2854C. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-53156-3. PMC 10838296. PMID 38310138.
2. "Larger-than-expected prehistoric mammal species uncovered in Patagonia". phys.org.
3. Püschel, Hans P.; Martinelli, Agustín G.; Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Vargas, Alexander O. (2024). "Patagomaia could be a gondwanatherian". Scientific Reports. 14 (1). 28632. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-78400-8. PMC 11576905.
4. Chimento, Nicolás R.; Agnolín, Federico L.; Novas, Fernando E. (2024). "Reply to: "Patagomaia could be a gondwanatherian"". Scientific Reports. 14 (1). 28634. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-78401-7. PMC 11577045.

v t e Mammalia
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Synapsida Clade: Therapsida Clade: Cynodontia Clade: Mammaliaformes Synapsida see Synapsida Cynodontia see Cynodontia Mammalia see below↓
Mammalia Australosphenida? †Ambondro †Tendagurutherium? Monotremata? †Henosferidae Asfaltomylos Henosferus †Ausktribosphenidae Ausktribosphenos Bishops? Kryoparvus? Monotremata †Kollikodontidae? Kollikodon Kryoryctes? Sundrius †Steropodontidae Parvopalus? Steropodon †Teinolophidae Stirtodon? Teinolophos Ornithorhynchoidea †Opalios Ornithorhynchidae †Dharragarra? †Monotrematum? †Obdurodon Ornithorhynchus †Patagorhynchus? Tachyglossidae †Megalibgwilia †Murrayglossus Tachyglossus Zaglossus †Allotheria? see Allotheria includes multituberculates Theriimorpha see below↓
Theriimorpha Theriimorpha †Acinacodus †Amphidon †Amphilestes †Aploconodon †Chaoyangodens †Comodon †Condorodon †Dyskritodon? †Fruitafossor? †Hakusanodon †Indotriconodon †Juchilestes †Jueconodon †Kemchugia †Kryptotherium †Liaoconodon †Liaotherium †Manchurodon †Nakunodon †Phascolotherium †Sangarotherium †Tendagurodon †Allotheria? Monotremata? †Gobiconodontidae Fuxinoconodon Gobiconodon Hangjinia Huasteconodon? Meemannodon Repenomamus Spinolestes †Jeholodentidae Jeholodens Yanoconodon †Klameliidae? Ferganodon Klamelia †Triconodontidae Alticonodon Arundelconodon Astroconodon Corviconodon Eotriconodon Jugulator Meiconodon Priacodon Triconodon Trioracodon Victoriaconodon Volaticotheria? †Volaticotheria Argentoconodon Ichthyoconodon Triconolestes? Volaticotherium †Tinodontidae Gobiotheriodon? Tinodon Trishulotherium Yermakia Trechnotheria Monotremata? †Zhangheotheriidae Anebodon Kiyatherium Maotherium Ningchengodon Origolestes Zhangheotherium †Spalacotheriidae Akidolestes Aliaga Cifellitherium Heishanlestes Infernolestes Lactodens Shalbaatar Spalacolestes Spalacotheridium Spalacotherium Spalacotheroides Symmetrodontoides Symmetrolestes Yaverlestes Cladotheria see below↓
Cladotheria †Dryolestida Brancatherulum? Dorsetodon Drescheratherium Euthlastus Henkelotherium Paurodon Tathiodon Dryolestidae Achyrodon Amblotherium Anthracolestes Beckumia Crusafontia Dryolestes Groebertherium? Guimarotodus Hercynodon Krebsotherium Lakotalestes? Laolestes Minutolestes Phascolestes Portopinheirodon Treslagosodon †Meridiolestida Amarillodon Austrotriconodon Bondesius Casamiquelia Cronopio Groebertherium? Lakotalestes? Leonardus Necrolestes Paraungulatum Quirogatherium Solanutherium Mesungulatoidea Coloniatherium Mesungulatum Orretherium Peligrotherium Reigitherium †Donodontidae Amazighodon Anoualestes Donodon Stylodens Prototribosphenida †Abelodon †Amphibetulimus †Amphitherium †Arguimus †Brancatherulum? †Chunnelodon †Magnimus †Minimus †Mozomus †Nanolestes †Palaeoxonodon †Vincelestes Monotremata? †Peramuridae Afriquiamus? Kouriogenys Peramuroides Peramus Tendagurutherium? Tribosphenida / Boreosphenida †Aegialodon †Argaliatherium †Brasilestes †Carinalestes †Eomaia †Holoclemensia †Hypomylos †Juramaia †Kermackia †Kielantherium †Pappotherium †Picopsis †Tirotherium †Tribactonodon Theria †Patagomaia Eutheria see Eutheria includes placentals Metatheria see Metatheria includes marsupials
Other taxa Incertae sedis †Atlasodon †Chronoperates †Microderson †Thereuodon †Tingamarra Saint Bathans Mammal UA 8699 Other taxa Prototheria Yinotheria Eutriconodonta Amphilestidae Theriiformes Pantotheria Symmetrodonta Eupantotheria Paurodontidae Amphitheriidae Marsupionta

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