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Titanotylopus

genus of mammals

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 30, 2026
Entity authorityQ2288361 ↗
Source-derived summary

Titanotylopus is an extinct genus of camel (tribe Camelini), endemic to North America from the late Hemphillian stage of the Miocene through the Irvingtonian stage of the Pleistocene. It was one of the last surviving North American camels; after its extinction, only Camelops remained.

Taxonomy

While some authors have considered Gigantocamelus and Titanotylopus to be congeneric, others have maintained them separately. Voorhies and Corner, based on previously unreported material, documented that the two are indeed worthy of separate generic status. Harrison (1985) followed Voorhies and Corner in advocating the use of Titanotylopus for only T. nebraskensis, based on a lower jaw, and Gigantocamelus for G. spatulus, which includes G. fricki. There is a clear difference between the proximal phalanx of specimens assigned to Gigantocamelus and to Titanotylopus, based on skeletons associated with skull material.

Its name is derived from the Greek words Τιτάν, τύλος and πούς — "Titan", "knob" and "foot";, respectively, thus, "giant knobby-foot".

Description

Titanotylopus possessed long and massive limbs, a comparatively small braincase, and a convex slope between the eyes. It reached a shoulder height of 3–3.5 m (9.8–11.5 ft) and a weight of 2,500 kg (5,500 lb).

Like modern camels, it possessed a hump for fat storage; evidence for this is provided by the long neural spines on its thoracic vertebrae.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Titanotylopus” as genus of mammals. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Titanotylopus, genus and mammals.

Editorial reviewA practical orientation to terminology and classification, particularly when read beside dated observations, specimens or technical literature. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1985—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Titanotylopus, genus and mammals providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Titanotylopus”, the useful work is to connect “genus of mammals” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2288361. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1985.

Critical limits

A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.

Best used for
  • Current terminology
  • Classification context
  • Finding cited technical literature
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Titanotylopus”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Titanotylopus primary sources, Titanotylopus archive and Titanotylopus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Titanotylopus”?
  2. Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
  3. Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Titanotylopus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.