Parvitragulus is an extinct genus belonging to the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Hypertragulidae

Hypertragulidae

Hypertragulidae is an extinct family of even-toed ungulates , endemic to North America, Europe, and Asia during the Eocene through Miocene, living 46.2—13.6 Ma, existing for approximately ....

, within the order Artiodactyla, 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 Eocene

Eocene

The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...

, living 38–33.9 Ma, existing for approximately .

Parvitragulus were primitive and ancient ruminant

Ruminant

A ruminant is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first compartment of the stomach, principally through bacterial actions, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again...

s, resembling small deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

 or musk deer

Musk deer

Musk deer are artiodactyls of the genus Moschus, the only genus of family Moschidae. They are more primitive than the cervids, or true deer, in not having antlers or facial glands, in having only a single pair of teats, and in possessing a gall bladder, a caudal gland, a pair of tusk-like teeth...

, although they were more closely related to modern chevrotain

Chevrotain

Chevrotains, also known as mouse deer, are small ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only members of the infraorder Tragulina. There are 10 living species in three genera, but there are also several species only known from fossils...

s. Its diet is stated to be that of a frugivore

Frugivore

A frugivore is a fruit eater. It can be any type of herbivore or omnivore where fruit is a preferred food type. Because approximately 20% of all mammalian herbivores also eat fruit, frugivory is considered to be common among mammals. Since frugivores eat a lot of fruit they are highly dependent...

.

Taxonomy

Parvitragulus was named by Emry (1978). Its type is Parvitragulus priscus. It was assigned to Hypertragulidae

Hypertragulidae

Hypertragulidae is an extinct family of even-toed ungulates , endemic to North America, Europe, and Asia during the Eocene through Miocene, living 46.2—13.6 Ma, existing for approximately ....

 by Emry (1978) and Carroll (1988).

Body mass

Four specimens were examined by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass:

Fossil distribution

Partial list of fossil sites:

• Flagstaff Rim I, Natrona County, Wyoming
• Dirty Creek Ridge, Sioux County, Nebraska
  Sioux County, Nebraska
  -National protected areas:* Agate Fossil Beds National Monument* Nebraska National Forest * Oglala National Grassland -Demographics:...
  
  
• Airstrip (TMM 40504), Presidio County, Texas
  Presidio County, Texas
  Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 7,304. Its county seat is Marfa. Presidio County is in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and is named for the ancient border settlement of Presidio del Norte.-Geography:Presidio County is triangular in...