Hypsiops

Hypsiops
Temporal range: Late Oligocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: †Merycoidodontidae
Genus: †Hypsiops
Schultz and Falkenbach (1950)
Species

see text

Hypsiops is an extinct genus of oreodont of the superfamily Merycoidodontoidea, family Merycoidodontidae endemic to North America during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene epochs (24.8—16.3 mya), existing for approximately 8.5 million years.[1]

Taxonomy

Hypsiops was named by Schultz and Falkenbach (1950). It was assigned to Merycoidodontidae by Schultz and Falkenbach (1950) and Lander (1998).[2]

Morphology

Two specimens were examined by M. Mendoza for body mass. Specimen one was estimated to have a weight of 168.6 kg (371.6 lbs). Specimen two was estimated to have a weight of 223.0 kg (491.6 lbs).[3]

Fossil distribution

Fossils have been uncovered throughout the western U.S. in Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, as well as Nebraska.

Species

H. bannackensis (syn. Pseudomesoreodon boulderensis, Pseudomesoreodon rolli), H. breviceps (syn. H. johndayensis, Pseudomesoreodon rooneyi, Ticholeptus brachymelis, Ticholeptus petersoni.

References

  1. ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Hypsiops, basic info
  2. ↑ C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach. 1950. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
  3. ↑ 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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