The Macrauchenia (Macrauchenia patachonica) was a long-necked and long-limbed, three-toed South American ungulate mammal, typifying the suborder Litopterna. It belonged to the family Macraucheniidae, and is known only from fossil finds in South America, primarily from the Lujan Formation in Argentina. The original fossil specimen was discovered by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. In life, the Macrauchenia resembled a humpless camel with a short trunk, though it is not closely related to either camels or proboscideans.
As this genus was the last of the litopterns, its extinction (hastened by competition with invading North American species after the establishment of the Central American land bridge) ended that line of mammals.
Several fictionalized Macrauchenia are seen as extras in the film Ice Age, while more scientifically accurate versions are featured in the show Walking with Beasts.
Macrauchenia | Macrauchenia patachonica | Macrauchenia | Macrauchenia
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"Macrauchenia".
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