science

List of gomphothere fossils in South America

List of gomphothere fossils in South America is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of gomphothere fossils in South America rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of gomphothere fossils found in South America. Gomphotheres were elephant-like mammals that lived from the Middle Miocene (approximately 12 million years ago) to the Holocene (6000 years BP).

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Reference excerpt

This is a list of gomphothere fossils found in South America. Gomphotheres were elephant-like mammals that lived from the Middle Miocene (approximately 12 million years ago) to the Holocene (6000 years BP). The following species have been described in twentieth and twenty-first century paleontological literature about South America. An alternative proposal is considered within the scientific community, listed below. Modern classification

Cuvieronius (Osborn 1923) C. hyodon (Fischer 1814) (type) Notiomastodon (Cabrera 1929) N. platensis (Mothé et al. 2012) (type)

Former classification

Original classification

Gomphotheriidae Cuvieroniinae Cuvieronius (Osborn 1923) C. arellanoi (Ochoterena & Silva 1970) C. hyodon (=C. humboldti) (Fischer 1814) (type) C. priestleyi (Hay & Cook 1930) C. tarijensis (Cabrera 1929) C. tropicus (Cope 1884) (=C. oligobunis (Cope 1893)) Haplomastodon (Hoffstetter 1950) H. chimborazi (Proaño 1922) H. guayasensis (Hoffstetter 1952) H. waringi (Holland 1920) (type) Notiomastodon (Cabrera 1929) N. ornatus (=S. platensis) N. platensis (Mothé et al. 2012) (type) N. vidali (Castellanos 1948) Stegomastodon (Pohlig 1912) S. mirificus (Leidy 1858) (= "S. successor, S. arizonae, S. texanus") (type) S. platensis (Ameghino 1888) S. primitivus (Osborn 1936) (=S. rexroadensis) S. superbus (Casamiguela et al. 1996) S. waringi (Hoffstetter 1950)

Gomphothere fossil finds Formations are ordered according to their youngest age

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Paraguay

Peru

Uruguay

Venezuela

Proposed reclassification Some authors, Lucas, Mothé, Avilla et al., propose a reclassification of the South American gomphotheres as follows:

Stegomastodon (Pohlig, 1912) is an exclusively North American genus Haplomastodon (Hoffstetter 1950) is a South American genus, but synonymous with Notiomastodon (Cabrera 1929) as Notiomastodon was defined earlier, all Haplomastodon species should be considered part of Notiomastodon all formerly described species as Stegomastodon sp., Haplomastodon sp. and Notiomastodon sp. belong to a single species; Notiomastodon platensis Cuvieronius is the only remaining South American genus outside of Notiomastodon, containing the single local species C. hyodon Other researchers as Labarca, Prado and Alberdi agree with the placement of species into Notiomastodon, but reject the idea of a single species. They continue to use Stegomastodon waringi for South American gomphotheres from Chile.

Evolution Lucas (2010, 2013) proposes that Notiomastodon evolved from Cuvieronius inside South America Mothé et al. (2012, 2015, 2016) propose that Notiomastodon and Cuvieronius reached South America in two separate migration waves

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of gomphothere fossils in South America

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of gomphothere fossils in South America claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of gomphothere fossils in South America before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of gomphothere fossils in South America ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of gomphothere fossils in South America

In research: List of gomphothere fossils in South America appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of gomphothere fossils in South America in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of gomphothere fossils in South America is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fossils of Argentina, Fossils of Bolivia, Fossils of Brazil, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of gomphothere fossils in South America outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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