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Anthracothere
Anthracotheriidae is a paraphyletic family of extinct, hippopotamus-like artiodactyl ungulates related to hippopotamuses and whales. The oldest genus, '' Elomeryx'', first appeared during the middle Eocene in Asia. They thrived in Africa and Eurasia, with a few species ultimately entering North America during the Oligocene. They died out in Europe and Africa during the Miocene, possibly due to a combination of climatic changes and competition with other artiodactyls, including pigs and hippopotamuses. The youngest genus, ''Merycopotamus'', died out in Asia during the late Pliocene, possibly for the same reasons. The family is named after the first genus discovered, '' Anthracotherium'', which means "coal beast", as the first fossils of it were found in Paleogene-aged coal beds in France. Fossil remains of the anthracothere genus were discovered by the Harvard University and Geological Survey of Pakistan joint research project (Y-GSP) in the well-dated middle and late Miocene deposi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artiodactyl
Artiodactyls are placental mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla ( , ). Typically, they are ungulates which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes (the third and fourth, often in the form of a hoof). The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or pointing posteriorly. By contrast, most perissodactyls bear weight on an odd number of the five toes. Another difference between the two orders is that many artiodactyls (except for Suina) digest plant cellulose in one or more stomach chambers rather than in their intestine (as perissodactyls do). Molecular biology, along with new fossil discoveries, has found that cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) fall within this taxonomic branch, being most closely related to hippopotamuses. Some modern taxonomists thus apply the name Cetartiodactyla () to this group, while others opt to include cetaceans within the existing name of Artiodactyla. Some researchers use "even-toed ungulates" t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microbunodontinae
The microbunodontines were an extinct subfamily of anthracotheres that were predominately a Paleogene group of Eurasian artiodactyls. The group died out at the end of the Late Miocene. It comprised the genera '' Anthracokeryx'', '' Geniokeryx'', '' Microbunodon'', and possibly '' Etruscotherium''. They are different from the other anthracothere lineages by their smaller size, slenderer limbs and male specimens having laterally compressed, longer canines. They were originally classified as members of the other subfamily of anthracotheres, Anthracotheriinae but recent phylogenetic studies have found them to be their own clade which is sister to Bothriodontinae The bothriodontines are a paraphyletic assemblage of anthracotheres that originated from Eurasia in the late middle Eocene (Bartonian). The group can be distinguished from other anthracothere lineages by their upper molars having a mesostyle oc .... References Anthracotheres Mammal subfamilies Eocene first appeara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (''Choeropsis liberiensis'' or ''Hexaprotodon liberiensis''). Its name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (). After elephants and rhinoceroses, the hippopotamus is the next largest land mammal. It is also the largest extant land artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the hippopotamids are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.), from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. Hippos are recognisable for their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, pillar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaggermeryx
''Jaggermeryx'' is an extinct genus of semiaquatic anthracothere, ungulates related to hippopotamuses, from the Early Miocene Moghara Formation in Egypt. The genus was named after Mick Jagger. Etymology Its genus name, ''Jaggermeryx'' is derived from ''Jagger'', after Mick Jagger, and ''meryx'', the Greek word means ruminant, which is common suffix for genus name of artiodactyls. Species name, ''naida'' is derived from ''Naias'', the Greek word means water nymph. It was named after Mick Jagger, lead singer for The Rolling Stones, because of its oversized lips. There was some debate among the team as to whether it should instead be named after Angelina Jolie. "Some of my colleagues suggested naming the new species after Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, because she also has famous lips," said lead author Ellen Miller. It was eventually settled to name the species after Jagger when co-author Gregg Gunnell sided with Miller. Discovery The first fossils of the species were d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthracotherium
''Anthracotherium'', from Ancient Greek ἄνθραξ (''ánthrax''), meaning "coal", and θηρίον (''theríon''), meaning "beast", is an extinct genus of artiodactyls characterized by having 44 teeth, with five semi-crescentic cusps on the crowns of the upper molars. The genus ranged from the middle Eocene period until the early Miocene, having a distribution throughout Eurasia probably even reaching South East Asia (Kalimantan and West Timor). Material subjectively assigned to ''Anthracotherium'' from Pakistan suggests the last species died out soon after the start of the Miocene. Description The genus typifies the family Anthracotheriidae, if only because it is the most thoroughly studied. In many respects, especially the anatomy of the lower jaw, ''Anthracotherium'', as with the other members of the family, is allied to the hippopotamus, of which it is probably an ancestral form. The Anthracotheres, together with the hippos, are grouped with the cetaceans in the clade W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merycopotamus
''Merycopotamus'' is an extinct genus of Asian anthracothere that appeared during the Middle Miocene, and died out in the Late Pliocene. At the height of the genus' influence, species ranged throughout South Asia and South East Asia (Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand). With the extinction of the last species, ''M. dissimilis'', the lineage of anthracotheres came to an end. ''Merycopotamus'' was closely related to the anthracothere genus '' Libycosaurus'', which, unlike the former, never left Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac .... In fact, some African fossils originally placed in ''Merycopotamus'', but are now referred to ''Libycosaurus''. References Bothriodontinae Miocene Artiodactyla Pliocene Artiodactyla Piacenzian extinctions Neogene mammals of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamidae is a family of stout, naked-skinned, and semiaquatic artiodactyl mammals, possessing three-chambered stomachs and walking on four toes on each foot. While they resemble pigs physiologically, their closest living relatives are the cetaceans. They are formally referred to as hippopotamids. There are two living species of hippopotamid in two genera; the pygmy hippo, '' Choeropsis liberiensis'' of the forests of west Africa, and the common hippo, '' Hippopotamus amphibius''. The term ''hippopotamus'' can also be applied to hippopotamids in general, although it is most frequently used for the common hippo and its respective genus. Characteristics Hippopotamids are large mammals, with short, stumpy legs, and barrel-shaped bodies. They have large heads, with broad mouths, and nostrils placed at the top of their snouts. Like pigs, they have four toes, but unlike pigs, all of the toes are used in walking. Hippopotamids are unguligrade, although, unlike most other such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bothriodontinae
The bothriodontines are a paraphyletic assemblage of anthracotheres that originated from Eurasia in the late middle Eocene (Bartonian). The group can be distinguished from other anthracothere lineages by their upper molars having a mesostyle occupied by a transverse valley, selenodont cusps, a ventrally concave symphysis, elongated muzzles, and a diastema between the canine and first premolar tooth. During their evolution, the bothriodontines evolved from small basal forms such as '' Qatraniodon'' into larger taxa such as '' Libycosaurus'' and ''Merycopotamus ''Merycopotamus'' is an extinct genus of Asian anthracothere that appeared during the Middle Miocene, and died out in the Late Pliocene. At the height of the genus' influence, species ranged throughout South Asia and South East Asia (Indonesia ...''. In some genera, the snouts became even more elongated and teeth specialized in a folivorous diet (e.g., '' Bothriodon'', '' Aepinacodon''), while others like ''Merycopotam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthracotheriinae
The anthracotheriines are an extinct subfamily of anthracotheres that comprised Paleogene to early Neogene North American and Eurasian artiodactyls. The group contained the genera ''Anthracotherium'', '' Heptacodon'', and '' Paenanthracotherium'', as well as possibly '' Myaingtherium'' and '' Siamotherium''. They were small to large sized anthracotheres, and when compared to the other two subfamilies, Microbunodontinae and Bothriodontinae The bothriodontines are a paraphyletic assemblage of anthracotheres that originated from Eurasia in the late middle Eocene (Bartonian). The group can be distinguished from other anthracothere lineages by their upper molars having a mesostyle oc ..., anthracotheriines are found to occupy a primitive, basal position in the family. References Anthracotheres Mammal subfamilies Eocene first appearances {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ungulate
Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Euungulata ("true ungulates"), which primarily consists of large mammals with Hoof, hooves. Once part of the clade "Ungulata" along with the clade Paenungulata, "Ungulata" has since been determined to be a polyphyletic and thereby invalid clade based on molecular data. As a result, true ungulates had since been reclassified to the newer clade Euungulata in 2001 within the clade Laurasiatheria while Paenungulata has been reclassified to a distant clade Afrotheria. Living ungulates are divided into two orders: Perissodactyla including Equidae, equines, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and Artiodactyla including Bos, cattle, antelope, Sus (genus), pigs, giraffes, camels, Ovis, sheep, deer, and Hippopotamidae, hippopotamuses, among others. Cetaceans such as Whale, whales, Dolphin, dolphins, and Porpoise, porpoises are also classified as artiodactyls, although they do not have hooves. Most terrestrial ungulates use the hoofed tips of their toes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthracohyus
''Anthracohyus'' was a genus of extinct artiodactyl ungulate mammal belonging to Anthracotheriidae that lived in Asia during the middle to late Eocene. Taxonomy ''Anthracohyus'' is treated as a junior synonym of ''Anthracotherium ''Anthracotherium'', from Ancient Greek ἄνθραξ (''ánthrax''), meaning "coal", and θηρίον (''theríon''), meaning "beast", is an extinct genus of artiodactyls characterized by having 44 teeth, with five semi-crescentic cusps on the ...'' by Tsubamoto et al. (2002) based on similarities in dental morphology.Tsubamoto T, Takai M, Egi N, Shigehara N, Tun ST, Aung AK, Soe Aung Naing, Thein T. 2002. The Anthracotheriidae (Mammalia; Artiodactyla) from the Eocene Pondaung Formation (Myanmar) and comments on some other anthracotheres from the Eocene of Asia. Paleontol Res. 6:363–384. However, this synonymy was rejected by Lihoreau and Ducrocq (2007).Lihoreau F, Ducrocq S. 2007. Family Anthracotheriidae. In: Prothero DR, Foss SE, editors. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brachyodus
''Brachyodus'' was a genus of anthracothere that lived in Europe during the Early Miocene. Taxonomy The type and only species of this genus is ''B. onoideus''. The nominal species ''"Brachyodus" strategus'' has been reassigned to '' Paenanthracotherium'' based on similarities with ''P. bergeri''.Laureline Scherler; Fabrice Lihoreau; Damien Becker (2018). "To split or not to split Anthracotherium? A phylogeny of Anthracotheriinae (Cetartiodactyla: Hippopotamoidea) and its palaeobiogeographical implications". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Online edition. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zly052. Likewise, the putative Asian species ''"B." japonicus'' was referred to ''Elomeryx'' by Tsubamoto and Kohno (2011). Distribution Fossils of ''Brachyodus'' are known from latest early Miocene deposits in Europe. It has also been reported from the late Burdigalian fossil site of Tagay, located on Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
