A new toxodont from the Late Miocene of Catamarca, Argentina, and a phylogenetic analysis of the Toxodontidae

A new genus and species of Toxodontidae from the Huayquerian (late Miocene) of El Cajon Valley (Catamarca, Argentina) is described. Calchaquitherium m ixtum gen. et sp. nov. (Toxodontinae) is characterized by a combination of features of different genera, being closest to Mixotoxodon, Xotodon, and No notherium. Cladistic analysis of the family Toxodontidae has been attempted in order to assess the phylogenetic relationships of the new taxon. Four g enera of the families Leontiniidae and Notohippidae were used as outgroups. The five subfamilies previously included in Toxodontidae do not represent monophyletic groups according to this analysis. A new classification of Tox odontidae, with two subfamilies, Nesodontinae and Toxodontinae, with three main groups of genera within the latter, is proposed.