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White River Fauna
The White River Fauna are fossil animals found in the White River Group of South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska in the United States. In southwest South Dakota and northwest Nebraska, these fossils are characteristic of the White River (Missouri River), White River Badlands (including Badlands National Park), though they can be found far beyond the limits of the White River watershed.Scott, W. B., & Jepsen, G. L. (1940). The Mammalian Fauna of the White River Oligocene: Part IV. Artiodactyla. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 28(4), 363–746. https://doi.org/10.2307/1005504 In Wyoming, the White River Group is undifferentiated, and is more commonly known as the White River Formation. Further east in Nebraska and South Dakota, the group is divided into the Chadron Formation (lower part) and Brule Formation (upper part). Exposures are less well-investigated in northeast Colorado and scattered sites across western North Dakota. The White River ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants. The totality of fossils is known as the ''fossil record''. Though the fossil record is incomplete, numerous studies have demonstrated that there is enough information available to give a good understanding of the pattern of diversification of life on Earth. In addition, the record can predict and fill gaps such as the discovery of '' Tiktaalik'' in the arctic of Canada. Paleontology includes the study of fossils: their age, method of formation, and evolutionary significance. Specimens are sometimes considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are around 3.48 billion years to 4.1 billion years old. Early edition, published online before prin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North American Land Mammal Age
The North American land mammal ages (NALMA) establishes a geologic timescale for North American fauna beginning during the Late Cretaceous and continuing through to the present. These periods are referred to as ages or intervals (or stages when referring to the rock strata of that age) and were established using geographic place names where fossil materials were obtained. System The North American land-mammal-age system was formalized in 1941 as a series of provincial land-mammal ages. The system was the standard for correlations in the terrestrial Cenozoic record of North America and was the source for similar time scales dealing with other continents. The system was revised into a formal chronostratigraphic system. This approach is nominally justified by international stratigraphic codes; it holds that first appearances of individual species in particular sections are the only valid basis for naming and defining the land-mammal ages. The basic unit of measure is the first/last ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elomeryx
''Elomeryx'' is an extinct genus of artiodactyl ungulate, and is among the earliest known anthracotheres. The genus was extremely widespread, first being found in Asia in the middle Eocene, in Europe during the latest Eocene, and having spread to North America by the early Oligocene. The closest living relatives of the ''Elomeryx'' are said suids, and hippopotamids ( hippopotami and cetaceans). ''Elomeryx'' was about in body length, and had a long, vaguely horse-like head. It had small tusks which it used to uproot plants, and spoon-shaped incisors ideal for pulling and cropping water plants. ''Elomeryx'' had five-toed hind legs and four-toed front legs, resulting in wide feet which made it easier to walk on soft mud. It probably had similar habits to the modern hippopotamus The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Head Of Bothriodon
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do, regardless of size. Heads develop in animals by an evolutionary trend known as cephalization. In bilaterally symmetrical animals, nervous tissue concentrate at the anterior region, forming structures responsible for information processing. Through biological evolution, sense organs and feeding structures also concentrate into the anterior region; these collectively form the head. Human head The human head is an anatomical unit that consists of the skull, hyoid bone and cervical vertebrae. The skull consists of the brain case which encloses the cranial cavity, and the facial skeleton, which includes the mandible. There are eight bones in the brain case and fourteen in the facia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthracotheriidae
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 depos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bothriodon
''Bothriodon'' (Greek: "pit" (botros), "teeth" (odontes)) is an extinct genus of anthracotheriid artiodactyl from the late Eocene to early Oligocene of Asia, Europe, and North America. It was about the size of a large pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ..., reaching an estimated weight of more than 199 kg (439 lbs). References Further reading * ''The Beginning of the Age of Mammals'' by Kenneth D. Rose * ''Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids'' by Jordi Agusti and Mauricio Anton Anthracotheres Eocene Artiodactyla Eocene mammals of Asia Eocene mammals of Europe Eocene mammals of North America Prehistoric Artiodactyla genera {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paracrax
''Paracrax'' ("near curassow") is a genus of extinct North American flightless birds, possibly related to modern seriemas and the extinct terror birds. Part of Bathornithidae (though some analysis recover it as closer to the living seriemas instead, or possibly entirely out of Cariamiformes), it is a specialised member of this group, being cursorial carnivores much like their South American cousins, some species attaining massive sizes. Discovery ''Paracrax antiqua'' is the genus type species. The type specimen, YPM 537, was collected in Weld County, Colorado, in 1871 by Othniel Charles Marsh, which identified it as a sort of turkey. It was posteriorly referred to Cracidae by Pierce Brodkorb, before its identity as a bathornithid came to light. Material previously identified as a cormorant, " Phalacrocorax/Oligocrocorax" ''mediterraneus'', was posteriorly identified as ''P. antiqua'' remains. Since then, two more species have been identified: ''P. wetmorei'' and ''P. g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seriema
The seriemas are the sole living members of the small bird family Cariamidae (the entire family is also referred to as "seriemas"), which is also the only surviving lineage of the order Cariamiformes. Once believed to be related to cranes, they have been placed near the falcons, parrots, and passerines, as well as the extinct Phorusrhacidae (terror birds).Hackett, S. J. ''et al''. (2008) A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History. ''Science'' 320(5884):1763–1768 The seriemas are large, long-legged territorial birds that range from in length. They live in grasslands, savanna, dry woodland and open forests of Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. There are two species of seriemas, the red-legged seriema (''Cariama cristata'') and the black-legged seriema (''Chunga burmeisteri'').del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1996) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks''. Lynx Edicions. Names for these birds in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bathornis Grallator Restoration
''Bathornis'' ("tall bird") is an extinct genus of birds related to modern day seriemas, that lived in North America about 37–20 million years ago. Like the closely related and also extinct phorusrhacids, it was a flightless predator, occupying predatory niches in environments classically considered to be dominated by mammals. It was a highly diverse and successful genus, spanning a large number of species that occurred from the Priabonian Eocene to the Burdigalian Miocene epochs. Description Though most material is highly incomplete, ''Bathornis'' is nonetheless known from a variety of skeletal elements: hindlimbs (most commonly tarso-metatarsals), forelimb elements (especially humeri), pelvises and skulls.Federico L. Agnolin (2009)"Sistemática y Filogenia de las Aves Fororracoideas (Gruiformes, Cariamae)"(PDF). Fundación de Historia Natural Felix de Azara: 1–79. ''Bathornis grallator'' is known from a mostly complete skeleton, including the skull, bearing a proportionally l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bathornithidae
Bathornithidae is an extinct family of birds from the Eocene to Miocene of North America. Part of Cariamiformes, they are related to the still extant seriemas and the extinct Phorusrhacidae. They were likely similar in habits, being terrestrial, long-legged predators, some of which attained massive sizes. It has been suggested that most, if not all, North American Paleogene cariamiforme fossils are part of this group. Storrs Olson also referred the European '' Elaphrocnemus'' to this clade, though it has since been rejected. Conversely, some analysis have instead recovered them as a polyphyletic group, with '' Bathornis'' and kin being sister taxa to phorusrhacids while '' Paracrax'' is rendered closer to modern seriemas, though this assessment is heavily debated. The most recent consensus is that Bathornithidae is relegated exclusively to '' Bathornis'', as a clade of Cariamiformes outside of a clade including seriemas and phorusrhacids, as well as a possible European specime ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bathornis
''Bathornis'' ("tall bird") is an extinct genus of birds related to modern day seriemas, that lived in North America about 37–20 million years ago. Like the closely related and also extinct phorusrhacids, it was a flightless predator, occupying predatory niches in environments classically considered to be dominated by mammals. It was a highly diverse and successful genus, spanning a large number of species that occurred from the Priabonian Eocene to the Burdigalian Miocene epochs. Description Though most material is highly incomplete, ''Bathornis'' is nonetheless known from a variety of skeletal elements: hindlimbs (most commonly tarso-metatarsals), forelimb elements (especially humeri), pelvises and skulls.Federico L. Agnolin (2009)"Sistemática y Filogenia de las Aves Fororracoideas (Gruiformes, Cariamae)"(PDF). Fundación de Historia Natural Felix de Azara: 1–79. ''Bathornis grallator'' is known from a mostly complete skeleton, including the skull, bearing a proportionally ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chadronian
The Chadronian is a North American Land Mammal Age typically set from around 37,000,000 to 33,700,000 years BP, a period of . The Chadronian is preceded by the Duchesnean and followed by the Orellan NALMA stages. Relative to global geological chronology (the geologic time scale), it is usually considered to fall within the later part (Priabonian stage) of the Eocene epoch, ending around the same time as the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. The Chadronian is named after the Chadron Formation, a widespread component of the White River Group in Nebraska and South Dakota. The most well-studied examples of Chadronian strata in the White River Group/Formation are the Flagstaff Rim area of eastern Wyoming and the Toadstool Park area of northwest Nebraska. The beginning of the Chadronian is defined by the first appearance of '' Bathygenys'' (a merycoidodontid, or " oreodont"). Other mammals which first appear at the start of the stage include '' Merycoidodon dunagani'' (a merycoidodontid) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
