''Merychyus'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

oreodont Merycoidodontoidea, sometimes called "oreodonts" or " ruminating hogs", is an extinct superfamily of prehistoric cud-chewing artiodactyls with short faces and fang-like canine teeth. As their name implies, some of the better known forms were g ...

of the family

Merycoidodontidae Merycoidodontoidea, sometimes called "oreodonts" or " ruminating hogs", is an extinct superfamily of prehistoric cud-chewing artiodactyls with short faces and fang-like canine teeth. As their name implies, some of the better known forms were gen ...

, endemic to North America. It lived 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 recent" ...

, 20.4—10.3

mya Mya may refer to: Brands and product names * Mya (program), an intelligent personal assistant created by Motorola * Mya (TV channel), an Italian Television channel * Midwest Young Artists, a comprehensive youth music program Codes * Burmese ...

, existing for approximately .''Merychyus''
at

Fossilworks Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database, a large relational database assembled by hundreds of paleontologists from around the world. History Fossilworks was cre ...

.org Fossils are widespread through the central and western United States. ''Merychyus'' was a

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthp ...

with a short face, tusk-like

canine teeth In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dog teeth, or (in the context of the upper jaw) fangs, eye teeth, vampire teeth, or vampire fangs, are the relatively long, pointed teeth. They can appear more flattened however ...

, heavy body, long tail, short feet, and four-toed hooves.

Paleoecology

Fossils of ''Merychyus'' have been uncovered from

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. National Monument near Harrison, Nebraska. The main features of the monument are a valley of the Niobrara River and the fossils found on Carnegie Hill and University Hill. The area largely consist ...

. ''Merychyus'' was a common prey item for the beardog ''

Daphoenodon ''Daphoenodon'' is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore, which lived in the early Miocene and belonged to the family Amphicyonidae ("bear dogs") of the suborder Caniformia Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting ...

'', as over half of all herbivore remains uncovered from ''Daphoenodon'' burrows at Agate Fossil Beds belonged to ''Merychyus''.Hunt Jr, R.M., Skolnick, R. and Kaufman, J., 2019. The Carnivores of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Lulu. com.

Fossil distribution

Fossils of the genus have been found in: ;Arikareean * Chalk Canyon Formation, Arizona * Diligencia, Sespe &

Tick Canyon Formation The Tick Canyon Formation (Tt) or Tick Canyon strata, is an Early Miocene geologic formation in the Sierra Pelona Ridge of the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, California. The Tick Canyon Basin drains into the Santa Clara River. Geo ...

s, California * Arikaree Formation, North Dakota *

John Day Formation The John Day Formation is a series of rock strata exposed in the Picture Gorge district of the John Day River basin and elsewhere in north-central Oregon in the United States. The Picture Gorge exposure lies east of the Blue Mountain uplift, whi ...

, Oregon * Delaho Formation, Texas *

Colter Colter may refer to: * Colter Butte, a summit in the Grand Canyon * Colter's Hell, a thermal area at the mouth of the Shoshone's canyon in Wyoming * Colter Peak, a mountain peak in Yellowstone National Park People * Colter Bean (born 1977), Am ...

Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or "Po ...

Marsland Formation The Marsland Formation is a geologic formation in Nebraska. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. Fossil content Mammals Ungulates Reptiles Testudines See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Nebraska * Pa ...

s, Wyoming ;Harrisonian *

Hector Formation The Hector Formation is a geologic formation in California. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in California * Paleontology in California Paleontology in California ref ...

, California * Agate Springs,

, Marsland & Wildcat Hills Beds Formations, Nebraska *

Rosebud Formation The Rosebud Formation is a geologic formation in South Dakota. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Dakota * Paleontology in South Dakota Paleontology in South Da ...

, South Dakota * Delaho Formation, Texas *

s, Wyoming ;Other Miocene * Cypress Hills Formation,

Hemingfordian The Hemingfordian on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), typically set from 20,600,000 to 16,300,000 years BP. It is usually considered to overlap the late ...

Saskatchewan, Canada *

Suchilquitongo Formation The Suchilquitongo Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in Mexico. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene Period (geology), period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Mexico References

* Neo ...

, Mexico * Barstow, Bopesta, Branch Canyon,

Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

, Kramer Beds &

Vaqueros Formation The Vaqueros Formation is a sedimentary geologic unit primarily of Upper Oligocene and Lower Miocene age, which is widespread on the California coast and coastal ranges in approximately the southern half of the state. It is predominantly a medi ...

s, California *

Browns Park Brown's Park or Browns Park, originally called Brown's Hole, is an isolated mountain valley along the Green River in Moffat County, Colorado and Daggett County, Utah in the United States. The valley begins in far eastern Utah, approximately do ...

& Pawnee Creek Formations, Colorado *

Railroad Canyon Beds Formation The Railroad Canyon Beds Formation is a geologic formation in Idaho. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Idaho * Paleontology in Idaho The location of the U.S. state of ...

, Idaho *

Fleming Formation The Fleming Formation is a geologic formation in East TexasWatson, Geraldine Ellis (2006) Big Thicket Plant Ecology: An Introduction, Third Edition (Temple Big Thicket Series #5). University of North Texas Press. 152 pp. and Louisiana. It preser ...

, Louisiana * Runningwater,

Sheep Creek Sheep Creek is a geographical place name. With variations, the name is given to hundreds of bodies of water, roads, canals, reservoirs and populated areas in the United States and other countries. It is the name of a tributary to Lockyear Creek in ...

Olcott Olcott may refer to: Places *Olcott, Bell County, Kentucky *Olcott, New York *Olcott, West Virginia * Olcott (crater), a relatively fresh crater on the far side of the Moon Other uses *Olcott (surname) Olcott is a surname. Notable people with the ...

, Loop Fork, Box Butte,

Valentine A valentine is a card or gift given on Valentine's Day, or one's sweetheart. Valentine or Valentines may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Valentine (name), a given name and a surname, including a list of people and fictional char ...

Ash Hollow Formation The Ash Hollow Formation of the Ogallala Group is a geological formation found in Nebraska and South Dakota. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene Period (geology), period. It was named after Ash Hollow, Nebraska and can be seen in Ash ...

s, Nebraska *

Truckee Truckee is an List of municipalities in California, incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 16,180, reflecting an increase of 2,316 from the 13,864 counted in the 20 ...

Monarch Mill Formation The Monarch Mill Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in Nevada, United States. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene Period (geology), period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Nevada * Paleont ...

s, Nevada *

Tesuque Tesuque ( Tewa: Tetsʼúgéh Ówîngeh / Tetsugé Oweengé ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 909 at the 2 ...

, Zia Sand &

Abiquiu Formation The Abiquiu Formation is a geologic formation found in northern New Mexico. Radiometric dating constrains its age to between 18 million and 27 million years, corresponding to the late Oligocene to Miocene epochs. The formation is composed mos ...

s, New Mexico *

Laverne Formation The Laverne Formation is a geologic formation in Oklahoma. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Oklahoma * Paleontology in Oklahoma Paleontology in Oklahoma refers to ...

, Oklahoma * Juntura &

s, Oregon *

Arikaree Arikara (), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011)

Batesland Formation The Batesland Formation is a geologic formation in South Dakota. It preserves fossils dating back to the Neogene period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Dakota * Paleontology in South Dakota Paleontology in South ...

s, South Dakota *

Goliad Formation The Goliad Formation (Tg)Page et al., 2005, p.5 is a geologic formation in Texas. It preserves fossils dating back to the Serravallian to earliest Pliocene stages (Clarendonian, Hemphillian and earliest Blancan in the NALMA classification) of the ...

, Texas * Marsland,

, North Park,

Arikaree Arikara (), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011)

& Carpenter Ranch Formations, Wyoming

References

Bibliography

* J. Leidy. 1858. Notice of Remains of Extinct Vertebrata, from the Valley of the Niobrara River, Collected during the Exploring Expedition of 1857, in Nebraska, under the Command of Lieut. G. K. Warren, U. S. Top. Eng., by Dr. F. V. Hayden, Geologist to the Expedition. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 10:15-89 Hunt Jr, R.M., 1990. Nebraska and Wyoming; A paleobiota entombed in fine-grained volcaniclastic rocks. Volcanism and Fossil Biotas, 244, p.69. Hunt Jr, R.M., Skolnick, R. and Kaufman, J., 2019. The Carnivores of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. Lulu. com. {{Taxonbar, from=Q16985417 Miocene Artiodactyla Aquitanian first appearances Burdigalian life Langhian life Serravallian life Tortonian extinctions Miocene mammals of North America Arikareean Barstovian Clarendonian Hemingfordian Fossil taxa described in 1858 Taxa named by Joseph Leidy Prehistoric Artiodactyla genera