Pyrotherium

Pyrotherium ('fire beast') is an extinct genus of South American ungulate in the order Pyrotheria, that lived in what is now Argentina and Bolivia during the Late Oligocene. It was named Pyrotherium because the first specimens were excavated from an ancient volcanic ash deposit. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Deseado and Sarmiento Formations of Argentina and the Salla Formation of Bolivia.

So far, two valid species have been described; Pyrotherium romeroi from Argentina, and P. macfaddeni from Bolivia, at the end of Oligocene. P. romeroi in particular is the most recent known pyrothere in the fossil record and best known for its fossil remains, which although incomplete are the best preserved in the entire order. It is also the largest, with an estimated body length from 2.9 to 3.6 meters (9.5 to 11.8 ft). Pyrotherium is believed to have developed a small trunk; despite its close resemblance to elephants (proboscideans), though, it is not related to them, although Pyrotherium's true relationship is still controversial today.