PBDB Taxon

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

Miniochoerus gracilis

Mammalia - Merycoidodontidae

Taxonomy

Oreodon gracile was named by Leidy (1851). Its type specimen is ANSP 10692 and 10964, a maxilla (Partial right maxilla with P4-M3, and partial left maxilla with M1-M3), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was corrected as Oreodon gracilis by Leidy (1853), Leidy (1857), Cope (1884); it was recombined as Merycoidodon gracilis by Hay (1902), Gilmore (1906), Matthew (1932), Thorpe (1937), Scott (1940), Galbreath (1953); it was recombined as Miniochoerus (Paraminiochoerus) gracilis by Schultz and Falkenbach (1956); it was recombined as Oreonetes gracilis by Lander (1998); it was recombined as Miniochoerus gracilis by Stevens and Stevens (1996), Stevens and Stevens (2007).

Subspecies

Oreodon gracile coloradoensis

Synonyms

Oreodon minor was named by Cope (1888).

It was synonymized subjectively with Miniochoerus (Paraminiochoerus) gracilis by Schultz and Falkenbach (1956); it was considered a nomen nudum by Thorpe (1937), Lander (1998).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1851	Oreodon gracile Leidy p. 239
1853	Oreodon gracilis Leidy p. 53
1857	Oreodon gracilis Leidy p. 89
1884	Oreodon gracilis Cope p. 512
1888	Oreodon minor Cope
1902	Merycoidodon gracilis Hay p. 666
1906	Merycoidodon gracilis Gilmore
1932	Merycoidodon gracilis Matthew
1937	Merycoidodon gracilis Thorpe p. 56 figs. Fig. 7; PI. I, figs. 4-5; PI. Ill, figs. 3-5; PI. XLI
1940	Merycoidodon gracilis Scott p. 670
1953	Merycoidodon gracilis Galbreath
1956	Miniochoerus (Paraminiochoerus) gracilis Schultz and Falkenbach p. 413 figs. 3 - 4, 9 - 11
1996	Miniochoerus gracilis Stevens and Stevens p. 551 figs. Figures 4, 5, 6; Tables 1-9; Appendix C
1998	Oreonetes gracilis Lander
2007	Miniochoerus gracilis Stevens and Stevens p. 158

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()

Rank	Name	Author
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Euungulata
—	Artiodactylamorpha
—	Artiodactyla	()
suborder	Tylopoda	()
family	Merycoidodontidae
subfamily	Miniochoerinae
genus	Miniochoerus
species	gracilis	()

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.

†Miniochoerus gracilis Leidy 1851

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Invalid names: Oreodon minor Cope 1888 [synonym]

†Oreodon gracile coloradoensis Cope 1884

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Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1956	SKULL: Smallest in Miniochoerinae, larger examples approach the smaller ones of M. (P.) affinis; sagittal crest higher on average than in examples of M. (P.) affinis; brain case well inflated, more so than in average examples of latter species; frontals less convex transversely than those of M. (P.) affinis; nasals moderately light, slight anterior retraction; an- terior nasal-maxilla contact above and posterior to C/; supraorbital foramina with tendency to be farther apart in examples of M. (P.) affinis; malar averaging less depth below orbit than in examples of M. (P.) affinis; infraorbital foramen above ps ; lacrimal fossa smaller and with less depth than in examples of M. (P.) affinis; occipital condyles lighter than those of latter species. MANDIBLE:Examples lighter and smaller than those of M. battlecreekensis; condyle lighter than in examples of M. (P.) affinis, external border higher and more anterior than internal border. DENTITION: Series lightest known of Miniochoerinae, length averaging less than in examples of M. (P.) affinis. LIMBS: Shortest and lightest in Miniochoerinae.
M. S. Stevens and J. B. Stevens 1996	Cranial characterization is the same as for a derived member of the genus as the most fetalized species, the Subnasal L. is 62% of the Nasal L., the pl_P4 averages 47% of the P l _M3 (Table 3), the APM3rrM3 ratio averages 1.01 (Table 5), the mean APM3/Ht. M3 ratio is 1.91 (Table 4), and TM3/Ht. M3 averages 1.88 (Table 6). M. gracilis differs from Miniochoerus chadronensis by more fetalized cranium, systematically and significantly smaller size [for our data, means for all measurements significantly smaller; observed ranges of Subnasal L., Malar D ., P .O .C., and Sk. L. and Sk. W . overlap by from 3% (Sk. L.) to 53% (Malar D.) of the combined ranges for our data sets], and significantly larger pl_P41pl_M3, Sk. W./Sk. L., Sk. L./P l_M3 (ranges overlap substantially;Tables 3, 7- 9). M. gracilis differs from M. affinis , an approximate contemporary, by systematically and significantly smaller size [overlap of combined observed ranges is from 4% (Pl-M3) to 67% (Subnasal L.) with an average of 24%; no overlai> for Ht. M3s], and significantly larger P 1-P4!P1-M3 ratio (Tables 3 and 9). M. gracilis differs from M. starkensis by more fetalized cranium, and systematically significantly smaller size [observed ranges of only eight characteris- tic overlap: Pl-P4s, TM3 (5% of the combined ranges), Subnasal L., Malar D., P.O.C. (35%), Sk. L., Sk. W., with an average overlap of 17%], significantly less reduced premolars, significantly broader M3s and noticeably higher M3s (proportions that are stereotyped in comparisons with other Miniochoerinae).

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

terrestrialo

Locomotion:

actively mobilec

Life habit:

ground dwellingf

Diet:

herbivoref

Reproduction:

viviparoussubc

Created:

2005-08-31 14:37:21

Modified:

2005-08-31 16:37:21

Source: f = family, o = order, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum

References: Lillegraven 1979, Lander 1998, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1999

Age range: base of the Chadronian to the top of the Orellan or 37.00000 to 31.80000 Ma

Collections (35 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Wyoming)	Merycoidodon gracilis (16920)
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Nebraska)	Miniochoerus gracilis (16918)
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Colorado)	Merycoidodon gracilis (16977)
Chadronian - Orellan	37.0 - 31.8	USA (Wyoming)	Merycoidodon gracilis (17120)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Wyoming)	Miniochoerus gracilis (17106 17178)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Nebraska)	Miniochoerus gracilis (17047 17062 17098 17122 17135 17165 17201 17206 17209 17213 17219 17230 17234 17238 17246 17251 17271 17281 17285 17289 17290)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (South Dakota)	Merycoidodon gracilis (17102) Miniochoerus gracilis (17092 17094 17162 17173 17174 17180) Oreodon gracilis (17133)