Merycoides
Encyclopedia
Merycoides is an extinct genus
of oreodont
of the subfamily Merycoidodontinae endemic to North America
during the Whitneyan
stage of the Oligocene
-Late Oligocene epochs (30.8—24.8 mya), existing for approximately .
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of oreodont
Oreodont
Oreodons, sometimes called prehistoric "ruminating hogs," were a family of cud-chewing plant-eater with a short face and tusk-like canine teeth...
of the subfamily Merycoidodontinae endemic to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
during the Whitneyan
Whitneyan
The Whitneyan North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 33,300,000 to 30,800,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to fall within the Early Oligocene...
stage of the Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
-Late Oligocene epochs (30.8—24.8 mya), existing for approximately .
Taxonomy
Merycoides was named by Douglass (1907). Its type is Merycoides cursor. It was synonymized subjectively with Mesoreodon by Loomis (1920). It was assigned to Merycoidodontidae by Douglass (1907), Loomis (1924), Thorpe (1937) and Lander (1998)., Thorpe 1937. It's syn. with Paramerychyus.Morphology
Two specimens were examined by M. Mendoza for body mass. Specimen one was estimated to have a weight of 67.6 kg (149 lbs). Specimen two was estimated to have a weight of 118.3 kg (260.8 lbs).Species
S. californica, S. heterodon, S. nitida (syn. Leptauchenia minora, S. marianae), S. ultima (syn. Megasespia middleswarti).Related genera
Related genera include the other members of the subfamily Promerycochoerinae, including romesodreodon] and PromerycochoerusExternal links
- http://www.sdnhm.org/exhibits/mystery/fg_sespia.html San Diego Natural History MuseumSan Diego Natural History MuseumThe San Diego Natural History Museum was founded in 1874 as the San Diego Society of Natural History. The present location of the museum in San Diego's Balboa Park was dedicated on January 14, 1933....
"Fossil Mysteries Field Guide: Sespia californica