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Protospermophilus malheurensis

Mammalia - Rodentia - Sciuridae

Taxonomy
Sciurus malheurensis was named by Gazin (1932). Its type specimen is CIT 129, a partial skull ( A skull without the nasal bones, zygomatic arches and the region posterior to the postorbital processes; the incisors, third premolars, and left P4 and M1 miss), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Skull Spring, which is in a Barstovian terrestrial volcaniclastic in the Butte Creek Formation of Oregon.

It was recombined as Protospermophilus malheurensis by Bryant (1945), Black (1963), Shotwell (1968).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1932Sciurus malheurensis Gazin
1945Protospermophilus malheurensis Bryant p. 347 figs. P1. 7, fig. a
1963Protospermophilus malheurensis Black
1968Protospermophilus malheurensis Shotwell

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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()
RankNameAuthor
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—EuarchontogliresMurphy et al. 2001
—GliriformesWyss and Meng 1996
—Glires()
—Simplicidentata()
orderRodentiaBowdich 1821
superfamilySciuroidea
familySciuridae
genusProtospermophilusGazin 1930
speciesmalheurensis()

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.

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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
M. D. Bryant 1945Skull about the size of that of Protospermophilus angusticeps. Cranium small and flattened dorsally; rostrum massive, depth much greater than width; palate broad; interorbital region broad; dorsal crest of zygomatic plate terminates anteriorly below a rounded bulge at premaxillary-maxillary suture; fossae anterolateral to incisive foramina deep. Cheek teeth small in comparison with size of skull; anterior cingulum on P4 small; shallow grooves present on lingual margin of each molar at junction of cingula with protocone.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: scansorialf
Diet: granivoref
Diet 2: frugivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2005-08-26 13:04:24
Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Lillegraven 1979, Carroll 1988, Ji et al. 2002, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1991

Age range: Barstovian or 16.30000 to 12.50000 Ma

Collections (3 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Oregon) Protospermophilus malheurensis (19017) Sciurus malheurensis (type locality: 19056) Sciurus sp. (18809)