Limnenetes

Limnenetes
Temporal range: 35–5 Ma

Eocene to Oligocene[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: †Merycoidodontidae
Genus: †Limnenetes

Limnenetes is an extinct genus of oreodont, endemic to North America during the Late Eocene-Early Oligocene subepochs (38—33.9 mya) existing for approximately 4.1 million years.[2]

Limnenetes was a herbivore with a heavy body, long tail, short feet, and four-toed hooves.

Taxonomy

Limnenetes was named by Earl Douglass in 1901 as Limnenetes platyceps. It was synonymized subjectively with Leptauchenia by Lander (1999). It was assigned to Merycoidodontidae by Tabrum and Nichols (2001).[3]

Morphology

A single specimen was examined by M. Mendoza for body mass and estimated to have a weight of 33.9 kg (77.9 lbs).[4]

Fossil distribution

Fossils were uncovered in Montana and Texas.

Species

L. platyceps (type species).

Sister genera

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

Resources

  1. ↑ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 270. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
  2. ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Limnenetes, basic info
  3. ↑ A. R. Tabrum and R. Nichols. 2001. "Species named by Earl Douglass from the Tertiary intermontane basins of southwestern Montana". Museum of the Rockies Occasional Paper
  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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