''Listriodon'' is an extinct genus of
pig-like animals that lived in
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...
during the
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 recen ...
.
Description
''Listriodon'' species were generally small in size. In morphology, they show many similarities with
peccaries rather than modern pigs.
The lophodont teeth of ''Listriodon'' indicate that it was mostly, if not strictly, herbivorous. Peculiarly, their teeth resemble those of
perissodactyls such as horses more than they do that of
ruminants
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. The ...
. This was the case because unlike ruminants (and much like perissodactyls), pigs lack a complex four-chambered stomach and therefore had to rely on their teeth to break down grasses and herbs.
Species
Many species of ''Listriodon'' have been named over the years, to the point that the genus became a
wastebasket taxon
Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...
. Over the years, many species have been moved into new genera, such as ''
Kubanochoerus'', ''
Bunolistriodon'' and ''
Lopholistriodon''. Some species were found to be synonymous with others, such as ''Listriodon theobaldi'' and ''Listriodon pentapotamiae'' representing different genders of a single species.
Prothero (2021) lists four valid species:
*''Listriodon splendens''
*''Listriodon pentapotamiae''
*''Listriodon raetamanensis''
*''Listriodon bartuensis''
Species now placed in ''Bunolistriodon''
*''Listriodon akatikubas''
*''Listriodon guptai''
*''Listriodon intermedius''
*''Listriodon latidens''
*''Listriodon lockharti''
*''Listriodon meidamon''
Species now placed in ''Lopholistriodon''
*''Listriodon juba''
Species now placed in ''Kubanochoerus''
*''Listriodon robustus''
Species synonymous with ''L. splendens''
*''Listriodon aragoniensis''
*''Listriodon mongoliensis''
*''Listriodon lishanensis''
*''Listriodon xinanensis''
Species synonymous with ''L. pentapotamiae''
*''Listriodon theobaldi''
External links
Listriodonat Fossilworks
References
Prehistoric Suidae
Miocene even-toed ungulates
Fossil taxa described in 1846
Prehistoric even-toed ungulate genera
Miocene mammals of Europe
Miocene mammals of Asia
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