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Hyracodon

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Extinct genus of mammal

Hyracodon
Temporal range: Middle Eocene–Late Oligocene PreꞒ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skeleton in Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Hyracodontidae
Genus: Hyracodon
Leidy, 1856
Species
  • H. browni
  • H. leidyanus
  • H. medius
  • H. nebraskensis
  • H. petersoni
  • H. affinis
  • H. eximus
  • H. modestus
  • H. primus
  • H. princeps
  • H. priscidens

Hyracodon ('hyrax tooth') is an extinct genus of perissodactyl mammal.

H. nebraskensis skull, found near Hermosa, South Dakota.

It was a lightly built, pony-like mammal of about 1.5 m (5 ft) long. Hyracodon's skull was large in comparison to the rest of the body. Hyracodon's dentition resembled that of later rhinocerotoids, but it was a much smaller animal and differed very little in appearance from the primitive horses of which it was a contemporary (32–26 million years ago). It had a short, broad snout and its long, slender limbs had three digits.

Like the primitive horses, hyracodonts inhabited open forests and wooded steppes and turned from browsing foliage to grazing grass. They died out without leaving any descendants and they mark the end of the phylogenetic branch of hornless, running rhinocerotoids.

Illustrations1896, Charles R. Knight1913, Robert Bruce Horsfall1920, Heinrich Harder

References

  1. McKenna, M. C; Bell, S. K. (1997). Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11012-X.
  2. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. pp. 283–284. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.

Sources

  • Benes, Josef (1979). Prehistoric Animals and Plants. Prague, CZ: Artua. p. 220.
Perissodactyla
Perissodactyla
Incertae sedis
Anthracobunia
Anthracobunidae
Cambaytheriidae
Brontotheriidae
Equoidea
Equidae
Palaeotheriidae
Pachynolophinae
Palaeotheriinae
Hyopsodontidae?
Phenacodontidae?
Meniscotheriinae
Phenacodontinae
Tapiromorpha
    • See below↓
Palaeotherium medium

Hyopsodus sp.

Meniscotherium chamense
Tapiromorpha
Incertae sedis
Isectolophidae
Homogalaxinae
Isectolophinae
Ancylopoda
Ceratomorpha
Tapiroidea
Deperetellidae
Helaletidae
Tapiridae
Rhinocerotoidea
    • See below↓
Heptodon posticus Tapirus augustus
Rhinocerotoidea
Rhinocerotoidea sensu lato
Indolophidae
Rhinocerotoidea
sensu stricto
Hyrachyidae
Eggysodontidae
Hyracodontidae
Amynodontidae
Amynodontinae
Cadurcodontini
Metamynodontini
Paraceratheriidae
Forstercooperiinae
Paraceratheriinae
Rhinocerotidae
    • See below↓
Hyracodon nebraskensis Paraceratherium transouralicum
Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae
Aceratheriinae
Elasmotheriinae
Diceratheriini
Elasmotheriini
Rhinocerotinae
Teleoceratini
Rhinocerotina
Dicerorhinini
Dicerotini
Rhinocerotini
Coelodonta antiquatis Elasmotherium caucasicum
Taxon identifiers
Hyracodon


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