Heteromeryx
| Heteromeryx Temporal range: Eocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Suborder: | Tylopoda |
| Family: | †Protoceratidae |
| Genus: | Heteromeryx Matthew (1905) |
| Species | |
| |
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:
- Big Red Horizon Site, Presidio County, Texas [6]
- Dirty Creek Ridge Site, Sioux County, Nebraska
- French Creek Site, Custer County, South Dakota
References
- ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Heteromeryx, basic info
- ↑ W. D. Matthew. 1905. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21
- ↑ R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York 1-698
- ↑ D. R. Prothero and J. A. Ludtke. 2007. Family Protoceratidae. in D. R. Prothero and S. Foss (eds.), The Evolution of Artiodactyls 169-176
- ↑ 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
- ↑ J. A. Wilson. 1974. Texas Memorial Museum Bulletin 23