Anoplotheriidae is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 t ...

ungulates. They were endemic to Europe during the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

and

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

epochs about 44—30 million years ago. Its name is derived from the ("unarmed") and θήριον ("beast"), translating as "unarmed beast".

Ecology

Species of Anoplotheriidae varied substantially in size''. Diplobune minor'' is suggested to have weighted about '','' while ''Anoplotherium'' is suggested to have been up to in weight. '' Anoplotherium'' is thought to have been a browser that reared up on its hind legs to feed, while ''

Diplobune ''Diplobune'' (Ancient Greek: (double) + (hill) meaning "double hill") is an extinct genus of Paleogene, Palaeogene artiodactyls belonging to the family Anoplotheriidae. It was endemic to Europe and lived from the late Eocene to the early Olig ...

'' is suggested to have been an

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

climbing animal.

Systematics and taxonomy

The family Anoplotheriidae was assigned to Belluae by Bonaparte (who named it Anoplotheriina) in 1850; to

Artiodactyla Artiodactyls are placental mammals belonging to the order (biology), 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 ...

Cope A cope ( ("rain coat") or ("cape")) is a liturgical long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A cope may be worn by any rank of the Catholic or Anglican clerg ...

in 1889, to

Ruminantia Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principa ...

by Gregory in 1910, and finally to its own superfamily Anoplotherioidea by Romer in 1966. A 2019 study considered them to be closely related to Cainotheriidae, another group of endemic European artiodactyls, with this group in turn being related to

ruminants Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principa ...

, while a 2020 study found them to be more closely related to the also European endemic Xiphodontidae, again as relatives of ruminants. Included genera: * Subfamily Anoplotheriinae ** '' Anoplotherium'' Cuvier, 1804 ** ''

'' Rutimeyer, 1862 ** '' Duerotherium'' Cuesta & Badiola, 2009 ** ''

Ephelcomenus ''Ephelcomenus'' is an extinct genus of Paleogene, Palaeogene artiodactyls belonging to the Anoplotheriidae that were endemic to Western Europe. It contains one species ''E. filholi'', which was first described by Richard Lydekker in 1889 but e ...

'' Hurzeler, 1938 ** '' Robiatherium'' Sudre, 1988 * Subfamily Dacrytheriinae ** '' Dacrytherium'' Filhol, 1876 ** '' Catodontherium'' Depéret, 1908

References

Sources

* http://www.helsinki.fi/~mhaaramo/metazoa/deuterostoma/chordata/synapsida/eutheria/artiodactyla/suina/anoplotheroidea.html {{Taxonbar, from=Q567678 Tylopoda Eocene Artiodactyla Eocene first appearances Prehistoric mammals of Europe Rupelian extinctions Prehistoric mammal families