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Merychippus primus

Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae

Taxonomy
Merychippus isonesus primus was named by Osborn (1918). Its type specimen is AMNH 14187, a set of teeth (Upper grinding teeth, P2-M3), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was recombined as Merychippus insignis primus by Dougherty (1940); it was recombined as Merychippus (Protohippus) primus by Stirton (1940); it was recombined as Merychippus primus by Matthew (1924), Kelly (1995), MacFadden (1998), Bravo-Cuevas and Ferrusquía-Villafranca (2006).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1918Merychippus isonesus primus Osborn p. 102 figs. Plates 13.3, 14.2,4, 25.4, 39.2. Text Fig. 78
1924Merychippus primus Matthew p. 64
1940Merychippus insignis primus Dougherty p. 116
1940Merychippus (Protohippus) primus Stirton p. 181
1995Merychippus primus Kelly p. 25
1998Merychippus primus MacFadden p. 547
2006Merychippus primus Bravo-Cuevas and Ferrusquía-Villafranca p. 776

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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
genusMerychippus
speciesprimus()

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.

†Merychippus primus Osborn 1918
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
H. F. Osborn 1918 (Matthew, 1913) (1) A.n animal of smaller size than the type of M. isonesus secundus, about equalling in size the type of M. seversus. (2) Crochet apparently single, i.e. no pli caballin, separate from protoloph except in well worn teeth; (3) protocone elongate transversely, strongly united with protoconule at an early stage of wear; (4) usually a single enamel fold projecting from metaloph into prefossette and a single fold projecting into postfossette. (5) Limb and foot bones slender.
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: Nowak 1991, MacFadden 1998, Hendy et al. 2009, Ji et al. 2002, Carroll 1988, Lillegraven 1979

Age range: base of the Hemingfordian to the top of the Early/Lower Barstovian or 18.50000 to 12.50000 Ma

Collections (10 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Hemingfordian18.5 - 16.3USA (Wyoming) Merychippus primus (18873 19083)
Hemingfordian18.5 - 16.3USA (Nebraska) Merychippus primus (17920 17952 18000 18001)
Late/Upper Hemingfordian18.5 - 16.3USA (Nebraska) Merychippus primus (17889)
Early/Lower Barstovian16.3 - 12.5Mexico (Oaxaca) Merychippus primus (18735)
Early/Lower Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Florida) Merychippus primus (18538 18549)