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Merychyus (Metoreodon)
Taxonomy
Merychyus (Metoreodon) was named by Matthew and Cook (1909) [named as a subgenus of Merychyus by Matthew and Cook 1909; raised to genus level].
It was reranked as Metoreodon by Cook (1912), Matthew (1918) and Thorpe (1937); it was synonymized subjectively with Merychyus by Lander (1998) and Morgan et al. (2009).
It was assigned to Oreodontidae by Matthew (1918); to Merycoidodontidae by Cook (1912) and Thorpe (1937); and to Merychyus by Matthew and Cook (1909), Schultz and Falkenbach (1941), Schultz and Falkenbach (1947) and Skinner et al. (1977).
It was reranked as Metoreodon by Cook (1912), Matthew (1918) and Thorpe (1937); it was synonymized subjectively with Merychyus by Lander (1998) and Morgan et al. (2009).
It was assigned to Oreodontidae by Matthew (1918); to Merycoidodontidae by Cook (1912) and Thorpe (1937); and to Merychyus by Matthew and Cook (1909), Schultz and Falkenbach (1941), Schultz and Falkenbach (1947) and Skinner et al. (1977).
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1909 | Merychyus (Metoreodon) Matthew and Cook p. 391 |
| 1912 | Metoreodon Cook p. 45 |
| 1918 | Metoreodon Matthew p. 215 |
| 1937 | Metoreodon Thorpe p. 202 |
| 1941 | Merychyus (Metoreodon) Schultz and Falkenbach p. 10 |
| 1947 | Merychyus (Metoreodon) Schultz and Falkenbach p. 232 figs. 1, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15-17 |
| 1977 | Merychyus (Metoreodon) Skinner et al. p. 344 |
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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.
Subg. †Merychyus (Metoreodon) Matthew and Cook 1909
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Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1947 | SKULL:Small size; ranging in basal length from 147 mm. to 152 mm.; occipital region completely fan-shaped, the base of the par- occipital process being incorporated in the flare; exoccipital pits small, but more like those typical of Ustatochoerus (see fig. 14), fan-shaped flare as in Ustatochoerus and greater than in Merychyus; lacrimal fossa very shallow to absent; prelacrimal vacuity present; infraorbital foramen above region of PLP'; paroccipital process expanded later- ally, forming part of the fan-shaped occipital region; postglenoid process compressed an- teroposteriorly (in average Merychyus the process is comparatively heavy); bulla large, semidepressed (depressed in basioccipital region and inflated anterior of paroccipital process); auditory meatus expanded between postglenoid and paroccipital processes (some- what similar to that of Ustatochoerus).
MANDIBLE:Similar to that of Merychyus but differing in having a more developed apophysis or process posterior to the condyle; inferior ramal border more concave than in Merychyus. DENTITIONS:ubhypsodont; premolars more complicated than those of Merychyus; P2-P 3 with a suggestion of cusps on the posterior crescent (in Ustatochoerus these cusps are well developed); P1-P 3 set obliquely in ramus; C/ and P1 small (in Merychyus there are large and small superior canines and inferior first premolars within a species; see fig. 13 and discussion on p. 172); PrP4 well grooved externally. LIMBS: Light and moderately long; approximately equal to those of M. elegans, an intermediate-sized Merychyus. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: f = family, o = order, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Carroll 1988, Lillegraven 1979, Lander 1998, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1999 | |||||
Collections
No collection or age range data are available