''Merycoides'' 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 subfamily

Merycoidodontinae Merycoidodontoidea, sometimes called "oreodonts" or "ruminating hogs", is an extinct Superfamily (taxonomy), superfamily of prehistoric cud-chewing artiodactyls with short faces and fang-like canine teeth. As their name implies, some of the bette ...

endemic to North America. It lived during the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but ...

Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million years ago) to 5.333 Ma. The ...

, 30.8—16.0 mya, existing for approximately .''Merycoides'' at fossilworks
/ref> Fossils have been uncovered throughout the western U.S. as well as Florida.

Species

* ''M. cursor'' Douglass 1907 * ''M. harrisonensis'' Schultz & Falkenbach 1949 * ''M. longiceps'' Douglass 1907 * ''M. pariogonus'' Schultz & Falkenbach 1949 * ''M. relictus'' Cope 1884

References

Oreodonts Oligocene mammals of North America Oligocene even-toed ungulates Chattian genus extinctions Rupelian genus first appearances Prehistoric even-toed ungulate genera {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub