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Punatherium Temporal range: Late Miocene-Early Pliocene ~43–37 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cingulata
Family:	Dasypodidae
Genus:	†Punatherium Ciancio et al, 2016
Type species
†Punatherium catamarcensis Ciancio et al, 2016

Punatherium is an extinct genus of xenarthran, belonging to the family Dasypodidae. It lived from the Middle to the Late Eocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.

Description

This animal, probably quite similar to modern armadillos, is only known from a few osteoderms. It was probably a medium sized armadillo, comparable to the big hairy armadillo in size. It is characterized by a pelvic region equipped with a rigid shield of osteoderms fused together, themselves endowed of a main figure anteriorly circumscribed by three large foramina. Other large foramina were present, located in the lateral and posterior margins. They formed four peripheral figures, all anteriorly disposed. The contact margins between the osteoderms had several low and blunt protuberances. The semi-mobile osteoderms, probably situated in the back and flanks, show a lageniform main figure, surrounded by six large perforations, except in the posterior area.

Classification

Punatherium catamarcensis was first described in 2016, based on fossil remains found in Middle-Late Eocene terrains from the Catamarca Province of Argentina. Punatherium was a member of the family Dasypodidae, which includes the modern nine-banded armadillo.

Bibliography

Ciancio, M.R., Herrera, C., Aramayo, A., Payrola, P., and Babot, J. 2016. Diversity of cingulate xenarthrans in the middle–late Eocene of Northwestern Argentina. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 61 (3): 575–590.

Genera of armadillos and their extinct allies

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Superorder: Xenarthra

Cingulata

† Noatherium
† Saltatherium

†Peltephilidae	Anantiosodon Epipeltephilus Parapeltecoelus Peltecoelus Peltephilus Ronwolffia
†Pachyarmatheriidae	Neoglyptatelus Pachyarmatherium
†Pampatheriidae	Holmesina Kraglievichia Machlydotherium? Pampatherium Plaina Scirrotherium Tonnicinctus Vassallia Yuruatherium

Dasypodidae

†Acantharodeia
†Amblytatus
†Archaeutatus
†Barrancatatus
†Chasicotatus
†Chorobates
†Coelutatus
†Eocoleophorus
†Epipeltecoelus
†Eutatus
†Hemiutaetus
†Isutaetus
†Lumbreratherium
†Macrochorobates
†Mazzoniphractus
†Meteutatus
†Prodasypus
†Prostegotherium
†Pucatherium
†Punatherium
†Stenotatus
†Utaetus

Dasypodinae

†Stegotherium

†Astegotheriini	Astegotherium Nanoastegotherium Parastegosimpsonia Riostegotherium Stegosimpsonia
Dasypodini	†Anadasypus Dasypus †Pliodasypus †Propraopus

Chlamyphoridae

†Proeutatus
Chlamyphorinae	Calyptophractus †Chlamydophractus Chlamyphorus
Euphractinae	Chaetophractus †Doellotatus Euphractus †Macroeuphractus †Paleurphractus †Proeuphractus †Prozaedyus Zaedyus
†Glyptodontinae	Andinoglyptodon Asterostemma Boreostemma Castellanosia Clypeotherium Cochlops Comaphorus Coscinocercus Daedicuroides Doedicurus Eleutherocercus Eosclerocalyptus Eucinepeltus Glyptatelus Glyptodon Glyptodontidium Glyptostracon Glyptotherium Heteroglyptodon Hoplophorus Kelenkura Lomaphorus Metopotoxus Neosclerocalyptus Neothoracophorus Neuryurus Palaehoplophorus Palaeopeltis Panochthus Paraglyptodon Parapropalaehoplophorus Phlyctaenopyga Plaxhaplous Plohophorus Prodaedicurus Propalaehoplophorus Protoglyptodon Pseudoneothoracophorus Stromaphorus Stromatherium Trachycalyptus Urotherium Xiphuroides
Tolypeutinae	Cabassous †Kuntinaru †Pedrolypeutes Priodontes Tolypeutes †Vetelia