Phenacocoelus

Phenacocoelus
Temporal range: Late Oligocene - Early Miocene
Phenacocoelus parvus teeth
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Merycoidodontidae
Genus: Phenacocoelus
Peterson (1907)
Species

see text

Phenacocoelus is an extinct genus of oreodont of the family Merycoidodontidae, subfamily Merycoidodontinae, endemic to North America during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene subepochs (24.8—20.6 mya), existing for approximately 4.2 million years.[1]

Taxonomy

Phenacocoelus was named by Peterson (1907). Its type is Phenacocoelus typus. It was assigned to Merycoidodontidae by Peterson (1907) and Lander (1998).[2][3]

Morphology

A single specimen was examined by M. Mendoza for body mass and was estimated to have a weight of 73.0 kg (160.9 lbs).[4]

Fossil distribution

Fossils have been uncovered in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska

Species

Phenacocoelus typus (syn. P. munroensis).

References

  1. PaleoBiology Database: Phenacocoelus, basic info
  2. O. A. Peterson. 1907. Annals of Carnegie Museum
  3. B. Lander. 1998. Oreodontoidea. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary mammals of North America 402-425
  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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