''Hypertragulus'' is an extinct genus of hypertragulid ruminant endemic to North America. It lived from the Late

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

to the Middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...

, living , existing for approximately .PaleoBiology Database: ''Hypertragulus''
/ref> ''Hypertragulus'' were primitive and ancient

ruminant Ruminants ( suborder Ruminantia) are hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. Th ...

s, resembling small

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the ...

musk deer Musk deer can refer to any one, or all seven, of the species that make up ''Moschus'', the only extant genus of the family Moschidae. Despite being commonly called deer, they are not true deer belonging to the family Cervidae, but rather their f ...

, although they were more closely related to modern

chevrotain Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only extant members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known on ...

s. Its diet is stated to be that of a

frugivore A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts and seeds. Approximately 20% of mammalian herbivores eat fruit. Frugivores are highly dependent on the abundance an ...

Species

*''H. calcaratus'' *''H. chadronensis'' *''H. crawfordensis'' *''H. dakotensis'' *''H. heikeni'' *''H. hesperius'' *''H. minor'' *''H. minutus'' *''H. planiceps'' *''H. quadratus'' *''H. sequens''

Fossil distribution

A partial list of fossil sites: * Chihuahua, Mexico *

Cedar Creek Formation Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *'' Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

(Lower & Middle),

Logan County, Colorado Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,528. The county seat is Sterling. The county was named for General John A. Logan. Logan County comprises the Sterling, CO Micropoli ...

* Fort Logan Formation,

Meagher County, Montana Meagher County (pronounced Marr) is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,927. Its county seat is White Sulphur Springs. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2010 center of pop ...

Upper Pomerado Conglomerate Formation Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

* Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation,

Grant County, Oregon Grant County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,233, making it Oregon's fourth-least populous county. The county seat is Canyon City. It is named for President Ulysses S. Gra ...

References

Eocene even-toed ungulates Miocene even-toed ungulates Aquitanian genus extinctions Oligocene mammals of North America White River Fauna Eocene genus first appearances Prehistoric even-toed ungulate genera {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub