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Miniochoerus affinis

Mammalia - Merycoidodontidae

Discussion

From Schultz and Falkenbach (1956), "Thorpe, 1937, pp. 46 and 312, reported the number of the holotype as "A.N.S.P.10680," from "the Niobrara River, Sioux County, Nebraska." This number, however,representsa fragment of a camel."

Taxonomy
Oreodon affinis was named by Leidy (1869). Its type specimen is ANSP 10679, a partial skull (Anterior portion of skull with C/-P3 rt. and P4-M3), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was recombined as Merycoidodon affinis by Hay (1902), Thorpe (1937) and Scott (1940); it was recombined as Miniochoerus (Paraminiochoerus) affinis by Schultz and Falkenbach (1956); it was synonymized subjectively with Oreonetes gracilis by Lander (1998); it was recombined as Miniochoerus affinis by Stevens and Stevens (1996) and Stevens and Stevens (2007).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1869Oreodon affinis Leidy
1873Oreodon affinis Leidy p. 212
1884Oreodon affinis Cope p. 512
1902Merycoidodon affinis Hay p. 665
1909Oreodon coloradoensis Matthew
1921Merycoidodon platycephalus Thorpe
1937Merycoidodon affinis Thorpe p. 46 figs. PI. I, fig. 12
1937Merycoidodon platycephalus Thorpe p. 59
1940Merycoidodon affinis Scott p. 668
1940Merycoidodon platycephalus Scott p. 676
1956Miniochoerus battlecreekensis Schultz and Falkenbach p. 395 figs. 1 - 2, 9 - 11
1956Miniochoerus (Paraminiochoerus) affinis Schultz and Falkenbach p. 405 figs. 3 - 4, 9 - 11
1956Platyochoerus platycephalus Schultz and Falkenbach p. 427 figs. 5 - 6, 9 - 11
1956Stenopsochoerus sternbergi Schultz and Falkenbach p. 438 figs. 6 - 7, 9 - 11
1996Miniochoerus affinis Stevens and Stevens
2007Miniochoerus affinis Stevens and Stevens p. 158

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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
Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
Theriiformes()
Trechnotheria
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Euungulata
Artiodactylamorpha
Artiodactyla()
familyMerycoidodontidae
subfamilyMiniochoerinae
genusMiniochoerus
speciesaffinis(Leidy 1869)

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 affinis Leidy 1869
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Invalid names: Merycoidodon platycephalus Thorpe 1921 [synonym], Miniochoerus battlecreekensis Schultz and Falkenbach 1956 [synonym], Oreodon coloradoensis Matthew 1909 [synonym], Stenopsochoerus sternbergi Schultz and Falkenbach 1956 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
Thorpe 1921 (Merycoidodon platycephalus)SKULL: Small size; smallest of genus; nasals not so broad as in other species of genus ; infra-orbital foramen above P8 ; auditory bulla slightly smaller than in examples of P. heartensis.
MANDIBLE: Ramus shallow, less deep than in other species of genus ; ascending ramus with less height than in other examples of genus ; condyle with external border higher than internal border.
DENTITION: Length of series averaging the same as in examples of P. heartensis; lightest known of genus; C/ and P1 moderately light and long; premolars with less crowding than in examples of P. hatcreekensis; PrPs with posterior intermediate crest.
LIMBS:Light, lightest and smallest of genus; approaching examples of M. (Paraminiochoerus) affinis.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1956 (Platyochoerus platycephalus)
SKULL: Small size; smallest of genus; nasals not so broad as in other species of genus ; infra-orbital foramen above P8 ; auditory bulla slightly smaller than in examples of P. heartensis.
MANDIBLE: Ramus shallow, less deep than in other species of genus ; ascending ramus with less height than in other examples of genus ; condyle with external border higher than internal border. DENTITION: Length of series averaging the same as in examples of P. heartensis; lightest known of genus; C/ and P1 moderately light and long; premolars with less crowding than in examples of P. hatcreekensis; PrPs with posterior intermediate crest.
LIMBS: Light, lightest and smallest of genus; approaching examples of M. (Paraminiochoerus) affinis.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1956 (Miniochoerus battlecreekensis)SKULL: Small size ; average size larger than examples of M. (Paraminiochoerus) a/finis (occurring in the same faunal zone), approximate size of examples of M. starkensis, smaller than those of M. nicholsae and M. cheyennensis, usually more robust than those of M. (P.) affinis and M. (P.) gracilis (both from "Zone A"); nasals more robust on average than in examples of M. (P.) a/finis, less robust than those of M. nicholsae and M. cheyennensis, comparable with those of M. starkensis; orbit small, slightly larger than in examples of M. starkensis, sttboval in outline, longitudinal axis almost vertical ; malar moderately shallow below orbit (comparable with examples of M. starkensis), less deep than those of M. nicholsaeand M. cheyennensis; infraorbital forarnen above posterior portion of pa; lacrimal fossa moderately deep, slightly deeper than in examples of M. starkensis, decidedly deeper than those of M. nicholsae and M. cheyennensis; occipital condyles lighter and smaller than in other examples of genus ; paroccipital process compa- rable with other examples of subfamily from
"Zone A" of Brule, slightly smaller than in examples from above that zone; bulla smaller and hyoid pit more anterior than in other species of genus ; postglenoid process moderately high but with less height and width than in examples of M. starkensis.
MANDIBLE: Postsymphysis below P8 ; inferior border of ramus with gradual downward curve posterior to M 3 , slightly less noticeable than in examples of M. starkensis, decidedly less so than in M. nicholsae; ascending ramus not so high as in examples of M. starkensisor M. nicholsae, inferior border with slight inward curve; condyle with external border higher and farther posterior than internal border, lighter and smaller than in other examples of genus.
DENTITION:Series moderately long and light, within length variation of examples of M. starkensis; C/ and P 1 moderately large; molars with less width (transversely) than in other examples of genus; external styles of superior molars prominent but less prominent than in other species of genus ; P 4 with less prominent anterior intermediate crest than in other ex amples of genus.
LIMBS: Moderately short and somewhat robust; usually longer and more robust than in examples of M. (P.) affinis.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1956SKULL: Small size; larger than examples of Miniochoerus (Paraminiochoerus) gracilis; length and width average less than in examples of M. battlecreekensis (from same fauna! zone) ; larger examples equal in basal length to smaller examples of M. (P.) helprini; nasals broader than those of M. (P.) gracilis, tendency to be narrower than those of M. battlecreekensis; anterior nasal-maxilla contact area above and just posterior to C/; zygomatic arch lighter than in examples of M. (P.) helprini; malar deeper below orbit than in examples of M. (P.) gracilis, less deep than in M. (P.) hel- prini; infraorbital foramen above posterior portion of pa; lacrimal fossa deeper than in ex- amples of M. (P.) helprini; bulla comparable with those in other examples of Miniochoerinae from "Zone A," slightly smaller than those of M. (P.) helprini; postglenoid process lighter and with less height than in examples of M. (P.) helprini, larger than in M. (P.) gracilis. MANDIBLE:Less robust than in examples of M. battlecreekensis; inferior border of ramus more pronounced downward curve poste- nor to Ma than in M. (P.) gracilis; condyle smaller and lighter than in M. battlecreekensis, set approximately at right angle to axis of dental series, external border higher than internal border.
DENTITION: Length of series averaging less than in examples of M. battlecreekensis, greater than in M. (P.) gracilis; external styles of superior molars more prominent than those of M. (P.) gracilis; P3 with posterior intermediate crest.
LIMBS: Tendency to be shorter and lighter than those of M. battlecreekensis; considerably longer and more robust than those of M. (P.) gracilis.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1956 (Stenopsochoerus sternbergi)SKULL: Small size, smallest known examples of genus ; larger examples approaching size of holotype of S. joderensis [approximately same length but decidedly narrower than examples of M. (Paraminiochoerus) affinis]; dolichocephalic; sagittal crest moderately prominent, not so high as in other species of genus ; frontals less convex laterally than in other species of genus ; nasals lightest and narrowest of genus; zygomatic arch less robust and with less posterior rise to inferior border than in other species of genus; malar moderately shallow below orbit, noticeably less deep than in other species of genus ; lacrimal fossa moderately deep; bulla smallest of genus; postglenoid process with less height and width (transversely) than in holotype of S. joderensis, more equal to those of S. berardae; posterior palate with less posterior projection beyond M8 than in examples of S. berardae.
MANDIBLE: Less robust than in other examples of genus; ramus moderately shallow, shallowest of genus; inferior border of ramus with slight downward curve posterior to Mi (curve lacking in other two species of genus) ; ascendmg ramus with less depth than in other examples of genus; condyle lighter than in other species of genus, external border higher and slightly more posterior than internal border.
DENTITION: Length of series shortest of genus, longer examples approach length of senes m holotype of S. joderensis; premolars comparable in size with those of other species of genus; molars smaller than in other species of genus.
LIMBS: Tendency to be larger than in examples of M. (Paraminiochoerus) gracilis, slightly smaller than those of M. (P.) affinis, shorter than those of S. (Pseudostenopsochoerus) douglasensis, all from "Zone A" of Brule formation.