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Merychippus gunteri

Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae

Taxonomy
Merychippus gunteri was named by Simpson (1930). Its type locality is Midway, which is in a Hemingfordian terrestrial horizon in the Torreya Formation of Florida.

It was recombined as Merychippus (Merychippus) gunteri by Stirton (1940); it was recombined as Hippodon gunteri by Quinn (1955); it was synonymized subjectively with Parahippus leonensis by Bader (1956).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1930Merychippus gunteri Simpson
1940Merychippus (Merychippus) gunteri Stirton p. 181
1955Hippodon gunteri Quinn p. 13
1975Merychippus gunteri Forsten p. 22 figs. Tables 11, 29; Fig. 4
1991Merychippus gunteri Hulbert, Jr. and MacFadden
1995Merychippus gunteri Kelly p. 25
1998Merychippus gunteri MacFadden p. 547

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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
—Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
—Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
—Theriiformes()
—Trechnotheria
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—Laurasiatheria
—Scrotifera
—Euungulata
—Panperissodactyla
superorderPerissodactylamorpha
orderPerissodactyla()
superfamilyEquoidea
familyEquidae
subfamilyEquinae
genusMerychippus
speciesgunteri

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 gunteri Simpson 1930
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. H. Quinn 1955Molars subhypsodont, about as in M. primus. Upper cheek teeth relatively short and broad, with strong external ridges. Protocone· relatively small, almost circular, with spur, and
united to protoconule near apex. Pli caballin simple but normally present. One or two well de- fined folds on each side of the metaloph. Metastylid feebly separated on P. 2,strongly distinct and simple, elongate. Lower incisor series somewhat less transverse than in M. primus.
A. -M. Forsten 1975Simpson (1930, p. 165, in Quinn, 1955, p. 13): Molars subhypsodont, about as in M. primus. Upper cheek teeth relatively short and broad, with strong external ridges. Protocone relatively small, almost circular, with spur, and united to protoconule near apex. Pli caballin simple but normally present. One or two well defined folds on each side of the metaloph. Metastylid feebly separated on lower P2, strongly distinct on other lower cheek teeth. Heel of M3 small and simple, elongate.
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, Carroll 1988, MacFadden 1998, Ji et al. 2002, Lillegraven 1979, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range: Barstovian or 16.30000 to 12.50000 Ma

Collections (28 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (Texas) Merychippus francisi (18680) Merychippus gunteri (18648 18658 18677) Merychippus perditus (18614)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (Florida) Merychippus gunteri (18503)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (Nevada) Merychippus gunteri (18922)
Hemingfordian20.43 - 15.97USA (Florida) Merychippus gunteri (type locality: 18561 176936)
Late/Upper Hemingfordian20.43 - 15.97USA (Florida) Merychippus gunteri (18512)
Hemingfordian - Barstovian20.43 - 12.5USA (Texas) Merychippus gunteri (18688 18691 18695 18704)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Louisiana) Merychippus gunteri (18621 18632)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Texas) Equidae indet. (18619 18627) Merychippus gunteri (18607 18608 18620 18637 18646 18650)
Early/Lower Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Texas) Merychippus perditus (18682)
Early/Lower Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Florida) Merychippus gunteri (18538 18549)
Middle Miocene15.97 - 11.608USA (Florida) Merychippus gunteri (18582)