Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Scaphohippus intermontanus

Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae

Taxonomy
Merychippus intermontanus was named by Merriam (1915). Its type specimen is UCMP 21400, a set of teeth (Complete superior molar series of right side, P2-M3), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Barstow (UCMP 1401), which is in a Barstovian terrestrial horizon in the Barstow Formation of California.

It was recombined as Protohippus intermontanus by Maxson (1930), Stirton (1933); it was recombined as Merychippus (Protohippus) intermontanus by Stirton (1940), Dorr (1956); it was recombined as Pliohippus intermontanus by Quinn (1955); it was recombined as Scaphohippus intermontanus by Pagnac (2006); it was synonymized subjectively with Scaphohippus sumani by Stoneburg et al. (2021).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1915Merychippus intermontanus Merriam
1918Merychippus intermontanus Osborn p. 121 figs. Text Fig. 95
1930Protohippus intermontanus Maxson
1933Protohippus intermontanus Stirton
1940Merychippus (Protohippus) intermontanus Stirton p. 182
1955Pliohippus intermontanus Quinn p. 22
1956Merychippus (Protohippus) intermontanus Dorr, Jr. p. 70
1972Merychippus intermontanus Woodburne and Golz
1987Merychippus intermontanus Quinn
1995Merychippus intermontanus Kelly p. 25
1998Merychippus intermontanus MacFadden p. 547
2006Scaphohippus intermontanus Pagnac p. 48

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
RankNameAuthor
—Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—Laurasiatheria
—Scrotifera
—Euungulata
—Panperissodactyla
superorderPerissodactylamorpha
orderPerissodactyla()
superfamilyEquoidea
familyEquidae
subfamilyEquinae
genusScaphohippus
speciesintermontanus()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

show all | hide all
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
H. F. Osborn 1918(Merriam, p. 50) "Cheek-teeth large; crowns long, strongly curved, heavily cemented. Protocone of upper cheek-teeth uniting early with protoconule. Enamel walls bordering the fossettes comparatively simple."
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingsubf
Diet: grazersubf
Diet 2: browsersubf
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-08-31 14:56:53
Modified: 2005-08-31 16:56:53
Source: subf = subfamily, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: MacFadden 1998, Ji et al. 2002, Lillegraven 1979, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1991

Age range: Barstovian or 16.30000 to 12.50000 Ma

Collections (35 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Miocene23.04 - 5.333USA (Montana) Merychippus intermontanus (18969)
Miocene23.04 - 5.333USA (California) Merychippus intermontanus (19234 19606)
Hemingfordian - Barstovian18.5 - 12.5USA (California) Merychippus intermontanus (19200 19201 19203 19207 19212 19214 19216 19218 19219 19224 19227 19235 19237 19245 19263 19265 19266)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (California) Merychippus intermontanus (19132 type locality: 19160 19522 19548) Scaphohippus intermontanus (19366 19422 19457 19463 214888 214889)
Early/Lower Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (New Mexico) Merychippus intermontanus (19547 19611)
Early/Lower Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Nebraska) Scaphohippus intermontanus (17880 17904 17955)