Heteromeryx

Heteromeryx
Temporal range: Eocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:†Protoceratidae
Genus:†Heteromeryx
Matthew, 1905
Species
  • Heteromeryx dispar

Heteromeryx is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Protoceratidae, endemic to North America from the Eocene epoch (Duchesnean to Chadronian stage) 40.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 6.3 million years.[1]

Taxonomy

Heteromeryx was named by Matthew (1905). Its type is Heteromeryx dispar. It was assigned to Protoceratidae by Matthew (1905), Carroll (1988), Prothero (1998) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).[2][3][4]

Morphology

Heteromeryx resembled deer. However they were more closely related to camelids. In addition to having horns in the more usual place, protoceratids had additional, rostral horns above the orbital cavity.

Body mass

Three fossil specimens of Prosynthetoceras were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass.[5]

  • Specimen 1: 42.9 kg (95 lb)
  • Specimen 2: 46.1 kg (100 lb)
  • Specimen 3: 31.7 kg (70 lb)

Fossil distribution

Fossils have been recovered from:

References

  1. ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Heteromeryx, basic info
  2. ↑ W. D. Matthew. 1905. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21
  3. ↑ R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York 1-698
  4. ↑ D. R. Prothero and J. A. Ludtke. 2007. Family Protoceratidae. in D. R. Prothero and S. Foss (eds.), The Evolution of Artiodactyls 169-176
  5. ↑ M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist. 2006. Estimating the body mass of extinct ungulates: a study on the use of multiple regression. Journal of Zoology 270(1):90-101
  6. ↑ J. A. Wilson. 1974. Texas Memorial Museum Bulletin 23


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.