Desmatochoerus

Desmatochoerus
Temporal range: Late Oligocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: †Merycoidodontidae
Genus: †Desmatochoerus
(Schultz and Falkenbach, 1968
Type species
†Desmatochoeru
Species
  • †D. hesperus
  • †D. megalodon

Desmatochoerus is a large extinct genus of terrestrial herbivore of the family Merycoidodontidae, subfamily Merycoidodontinae (an oreodont), endemic to North America during the middle Oligocene-Late Oligocene epochs (30.8—20.6 mya) existing for approximately 10.2 million years.[1]

Taxonomy

Desmatochoerus was named by Schultz and Falkenbach (1954) [named as a subgenus of Promerycohoerus by Thorpe 1921 and treated as such by Thorpe 1937; raised to genus level]. It was synonymized subjectively with Eporeodon by Lander (1998). It was assigned to Merycoidodontidae by Schultz and Falkenbach (1954) and Stevens and Stevens (1996).[2][3]

Morphology

A single specimen was examined by M. Mendoza for body mass and estimated to have a weight of 342.4 kg (754.8 lbs).[4]

Fossil distribution

Fossils have been uncovered in several locations in the western U.S.

Species

D. hesperus, D. megalodon (syn. Promerycochoerus curvidens, Promerycochoerus gregoryi)

Sister genera

Aclistomycter, Bathygenys, Brachycrus (syn. Pronomotherium), Eporeodon (syn. Hypselochoerus, Pseudodesmatochoerus), Hypsiops (syn. Pseudomesoreodon, Submerycochoerus), Leptauchenia (syn. Brachymeryx, Cyclopidius, Hadroleptauchenia, Pithecistes, Pseudocyclopidius), Limnenetes, Mediochoerus, Merycoides (syn. Paramerychyus), Merycochoerus, Merycoidodon (syn. Blickohyus, Genetochoerus, Oreodon, Otionohyus, Paramerycoidodon, Prodesmatochoerus, Promesoreodon, Subdesmatochoerus), Mesoreodon, Miniochoerus (syn. Parastenopsochoerus, Platyochoerus, Stenopsochoerus), Oreodontoides, Oreonetes, Paroreodon, Sespia, (syn. Epigenetochoerus), Phenacocoelus, Ticholeptus (syn. Poatrephes).

References

  1. ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Desmatochoerus, basic info
  2. ↑ C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach. 1968. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 139
  3. ↑ M. S. Stevens and J. B. Stevens. 1996. Merycoidodontinae and Miniochoerinae. In D. R. Prothero and R. J. Emry (eds.), The Terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene Transition in North America 498-573
  4. ↑ 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


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