Vintana
Vintana Temporal range: Maastrichtian
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Life reconstruction of Vintana sertichi. Postcranial reconstruction is hypothetical. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Family: | †Sudamericidae |
Genus: | †Vintana Krause et al., 2014 |
Species: | †V. sertichi
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Binomial name | |
†Vintana sertichi Krause et al., 2014
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Vintana sertichi is an early groundhog-like mammal dating from the Late Cretaceous, approximately 66 million years ago. Scientists found the lone fossil, a skull, on Madagascar's west coast in the Maastrichtian Maevarano Formation.
Vintana is extremely relevant to the understanding of gondwanatheres because it is the first well-preserved skull, as opposed to previous fragments and teeth. Establishing a connection with multituberculates and haramiyidans in the theriiform clade Allotheria, it is a rather unusual animal, possessing massive lateral flanges in its skull whose exact purpose is poorly understood, as well as massive olfactory bulbs. A rather large animal at a weight of 19 pounds (8.74 kg), Vintana also represents another example of a considerably large Mesozoic mammal alongside Adalatherium, other gondwanathere from same formation, this body mass is only exceeded by Repenomamus.
See also
- Cretaceous Madagascar
- Cretaceous mammals of Africa
- Fossils of Madagascar
- Fossil taxa described in 2014
- Maevarano fauna
- Maastrichtian life
- Taxa named by David W. Krause
- Taxa named by Simone Hoffmann
- Taxa named by John R. Wible
- Taxa named by E. Christopher Kirk
- Taxa named by Julia A. Schultz
- Taxa named by Wighart von Koenigswald
- Taxa named by Joseph R. Groenke
- Taxa named by James B. Rossie
- Taxa named by Patrick M. O'Connor (herpetologist)
- Taxa named by Erik R. Seiffert
- Taxa named by Elizabeth R. Dumont
- Taxa named by Waymon L. Holloway
- Taxa named by Raymond R. Rogers
- Taxa named by Lydia J. Rahantarisoa
- Taxa named by Addison D. Kemp
- Taxa named by Haingoson Andriamialison
- Cretaceous mammal stubs