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

Promerycochoerus superbus

Mammalia - Merycoidodontidae

Taxonomy
Oreodon superbus was named by Leidy (1870). It is a 3D body fossil. It is the type species of Promerycochoerus.

It was recombined as Eporeodon superbus by Marsh (1875); it was recombined as Eucrotaphus superbus by Cope (1880); it was recombined as Merycochoerus superbus by Cope (1884), Hay (1902) and Lander (1998); it was recombined as Paracotylops superbus by Matthew (1901); it was recombined as Promerycochoerus superbus by Douglass (1901), Douglass (1906), Loomis (1920), Thorpe (1921), Thorpe (1924), Thorpe (1937), Schultz and Falkenbach (1949), Fremd (1994), Stevens and Stevens (2007), Strganac (2011) and Stevens et al. (2023).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1870Oreodon superbus Leidy p. 111
1873Oreodon superbus Leidy p. 211
1875Eporeodon superbus Marsh p. 250
1876Merycochoerus temporalis Bettany
1880Eucrotaphus superbus Cope
1884Merycochoerus superbus Cope p. 522
1884Merycochoerus macrostegus Cope p. 526
1884Merycochoerus montanus Cope p. 531
1901Promerycochoerus macrostegus Douglass
1901Promerycochoerus montanus Douglass
1901Promerycochoerus superbus Douglass
1901Paracotylops superbus Matthew
1902Merycochoerus macrostegus Hay p. 668
1902Merycochoerus montanus Hay p. 668
1902Merycochoerus superbus Hay p. 668
1906Promerycochoerus superbus Douglass p. 566
1920Promerycochoerus superbus Loomis
1921Promerycochoerus montanus Thorpe
1921Promerycochoerus superbus Thorpe p. 220
1921Promerycochoerus macrostegus Thorpe p. 226
1921Promerycochoerus latidens Thorpe p. 232 figs. 2A, B, C
1921Promerycochoerus inflatus Thorpe p. 235 fig. 3
1921Promerycochoerus marshi Thorpe p. 236 figs. 4A, B
1921Promerycochoerus microcephalus Thorpe p. 239 figs. 5A, B
1924Promerycochoerus macrostegus Thorpe
1924Promerycochoerus montanus Thorpe
1924Promerycochoerus superbus Thorpe
1937Promerycochoerus chelydra latidens Thorpe p. 115 figs. Figs. 74-76
1937Promerycochoerus macrostegus Thorpe p. 132 figs. Figs. 89-90 ; PI. XIII, fig. 3
1937Promerycochoerus macrostegus inflatus Thorpe p. 134 figs. Fig. 91
1937Promerycochoerus marshi Thorpe p. 135 figs. Figs. 92-93
1937Promerycochoerus microcephalus Thorpe p. 137 figs. Figs. 94-95
1937Promerycochoerus montanus Thorpe p. 138 figs. PI. XVII
1937Promerycochoerus superbus Thorpe p. 141 figs. Figs. 97-105; PI. L, figs. 3-4
1940Promerycochoerus montanus Koerner
1949Promerycochoerus latidens Schultz and Falkenbach p. 102 figs. 2-4, 11, 12, 25, 26
1949Promerycochoerus superbus Schultz and Falkenbach p. 107 figs. 2-5, 11, 12, 25, 26
1949Promerycochoerus (Parapromerycochoerus) macrostegus Schultz and Falkenbach p. 118 figs. 5-7, 11, 12
1949Promerycochoerus (Pseudopromerycochoerus) inflatus Schultz and Falkenbach p. 123 figs. 8 - 10
1949Promerycochoerus (Pseudopromerycochoerus) montanus Schultz and Falkenbach p. 126 figs. 8-12, 25, 26
1949Promerycochoerus (Pseudopromerycochoerus) montanus pinensis Schultz and Falkenbach p. 128 figs. Figures 6, 8-12
1954Superdesmatochoerus microcephalus Schultz and Falkenbach p. 215 figs. 16 - 17
1994Promerycochoerus superbus Fremd
1998Merycochoerus superbus Lander
2007Promerycochoerus superbus Stevens and Stevens p. 160
2011Promerycochoerus superbus Strganac p. 32
2023Promerycochoerus superbus Stevens et al. p. 64 figs. Figures 46-49; Appendix 5B; Table A22

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

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
subfamilyPromerycochoerinae
genusPromerycochoerus
speciessuperbus()

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.

show all | hide all
Invalid names: Merycochoerus macrostegus Cope 1884 [synonym], Merycochoerus montanus Cope 1884 [synonym], Merycochoerus temporalis Bettany 1876 [synonym], Promerycochoerus (Pseudopromerycochoerus) montanus pinensis Schultz and Falkenbach 1949 [synonym], Promerycochoerus inflatus Thorpe 1921 [synonym], Promerycochoerus latidens Thorpe 1921 [synonym], Promerycochoerus microcephalus Thorpe 1921 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
M. R. Thorpe 1921 (Promerycochoerus inflatus)Skull very robust and massive; incisive foramina large, close together, and approach near to incisive alveolar border; bullm robust and rotund, extending slightly below postglenoid process; internal cingula on molar teeth; squamous portion of zygomatic arch very light proportionally, its posterior ascending section rising not above the middle of the orbit, but the malar section is wide and very robust, originating above the anterior part of M2, and continuing forward as a convexity which occupies nearly the whole side of the face; lacrymal fossm very shallow; cranium very wide and low; frontals very wide and flat; orbits look somewhat upward and forward, but chiefly outward; sagittal crest long and thin; palate wide;
M. R. Thorpe 1921 (Promerycochoerus latidens)Great bizygomatic diameter; malar very wide below orbit; lacrymal fossæ well marked;vertical diameter of orbits slightly greater than transverse; zygomatic arch shallow V -shaped; infra-orbital foramen above P4; bullæ relatively small, and triangular in basal outline; palate moderately pl'oduced posteriorly; no internal cingulum on superior molars.
M. R. Thorpe 1921 (Promerycochoerus marshi)Malar below orbit very wide and heavy; orbits small; lacrymal fossa'. deep; zygoma very heavy; nasals project to a point above the anterior portion of the canines; infra-orbital foramen above p4; masseteric fossæ. very deep; face narrowed in advance of the orbits more than in any other species; frontals flat and decurved above orbits; temporal ridges have their junction above a line through postglenoid processes, which is more posterior than in any other species of the genus; incisive foramina large and separated by a triangular wedge of the palate, the apex of which is close to the incisor border. In all the other species, the proximal sides of the foramina are parallel to the sagittal plane, instead of being markedly oblique as here.
M. R. Thorpe 1921 (Promerycochoerus microcephalus)Slmll long and narrow; frontals markedly decurved above orbits; extremely small brain chamber; high narrow sagittal crest; frontal ridges continued separate and nearly parallel to a position above the condyles before their junction; squamous portion of zygoma extends but slightly above squamous suture; malar below orbit very wide and heavy, with its inferior edge strongly convex downward; nasals extend nearly to incisive alveoli; lacrymal fossa well marked, moderately deep; orbit triallgular, with apex downward and forward; very deep lateral fossm above condyles; no internal cingulum on molars; bullffi large and extending below postglenoid processes; infra-orbital foramen above P4.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1949 (Promerycochoerus (Parapromerycochoerus) macrostegus)SKULL!Largest known form of the sub- genus but with somewhat less height than examples of P. (P.) macrostegus furlongi; nasals retracted for short distance; nasal- maxilla contact in region above posterior por- tion of P1 ; zygomatic arch with straight pos- terior border and not hooked as in examples of P. carrikeri; infraorbital foramen above re- gion of anterior portion of M 1 ; lacrimal fossa moderately small but deeper than in Promerycochoerus; bulla greatly compressed laterally; postglenoid process slightly longer than in examples of previously mentioned species; posterior palate projection extremely pro- duced beyond M1 similar to P. (Pseudopromerycochoerus).
MANDIBLE:Inferior border of ramus with abrupt downward curve below the last lobe of Ma.
.DENTITION:Longest series of subgenus; within the size range of P. carrikeri; inferior and superior premolars not crowded.
LIMBS:Similar to those of P. carrikeri.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1949 (Promerycochoerus (Pseudopromerycochoerus) montanus)SKULL: Supraoccipital wings slightly larger than in examples of P. (P.) montanus pinensis; posterior portion of sagittal crest more robust than in the subspecies; exoccipital pits deep; nasals with slight anterior retraction; anterior nasal-maxilla contact above region just anterior of P 1 ; infraorbital foramen above the posterior portion of P4 to the anterior portion of M1 ; bulla oblong in outline.
MANDIBLE: Typical of subgeneric description.
DENTITION: Typical of subgeneric description.
LIMBS: Short and heavy; shorter and lighter than in examples of P. latidens.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1949SKULL:Approximate size of P. carrikeri; smaller than examples of P. macrostegus; supraoccipital wings moderately spread, greatly produced posterior to the occipital condyles; sagittal crest moderately long, high, and sloping down posteriorly; frontals moderately wide; nasal long and rounded laterally, but not noticeably retracted; anterior nasal-maxilla contact P 1 ; zygomatic arch with straight internal posterior border (not hooked as in P. carrikeri), and extending posteriorly beyond the region above the postglenoid process, not to the degree found in examples of P. carrikeri, but more so than in examples of P. (Pseudopromerycochoerus); infraorbital foramen above re- gion of posterior portion of P'; lacrimal fossa larger and deeper than in P. carrikeri,· slight facial depression above premolar region; muzzle joined for short distance; occipital condyles of moderate size; paroccipital process wide at base with slight forward twist; bulla well inflated, high and suboval in outline, extending downward beyond the inferior border of the postglenoid process; postglenoid process robust and high; posterior palate projecting posteriorly beyond M3 (not to the extent found in examples of P. superbus chelydra).
MANDIBLE:Moderately robust; ramus of same depth until reaching a point below Ma; inferior border straight to a point below the posterior of Ma, then curving gradually downward.
DENTITION:Equal to smaller examples of P. carrikeri; average smaller than average examples of P. carrikeri or P. latidens.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1949 (Promerycochoerus (Pseudopromerycochoerus) inflatus)SKULL:Decidedly larger and more massive than in P. (Pseudopromerycochoerus) montanus; anterior nasal-maxilla contact above P1.
MANDIBLE:Unknown.
DENTITION:Series longer than in P. (P.) montanus.
LIMBS:Unknown.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1949 (Promerycochoerus latidens)SKULL:Large and massive (lighter in sup- posed female examples); supraoccipital re- gion produced posteriorly beyond the occipi- tal condyles with lateral wings not widely spread; sagittal crest high; brain case in- flated; frontals wide (narrower in supposed females); anterior nasal-maxilla contact in region above the anterior portion of P 1 ; malar deep below the orbit; zygomatic arch robust (lighter in supposed female examples), with straight posterior border, i.e., not hooked
as in P. carrikeri; occipital condyles of moder- ate size; paroccipital process with more lat- eral twist than in examples of P. superbus or P. carrikeri; bulla more suboval in outline than in examples of P. superbus; postglenoid process robust, larger than in examples of P. superbus; posterior palate projectingpos- teriorly beyond M 1 , but not to the extent found in examples of P. (Pseudopromeryco- choerus).
MANDIBLEM:assive;postsymphysisbelow anterior portion of Pa.
DENTITION:Average dental series longer than in examples of P. superbus, but approxi- mately equal to that of P. carrikeri.
LIMBS: Robust; somewhat larger than in average examples of P. carrikeri; heavier and longer than in examples of P. (Pseudopromerycochoerus) montanus.
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1954 (Superdesmatochoerus microcephalus)SKULL: Smaller than examples of S. lulli; brain case slightly smaller for size of skull than in that species; anterior nasal-maxilla contact above area posterior to P 1 ; infraorbital foramen above posterior portion of pa to posterior portion of P 4 ; lacrimal fossa smaller than in S. lulli.
MANDIBLE: Smaller than examples of S. lulli; postsymphysis below Pa; inferior border of ramus slightly more arched than last-mentioned species.
DENTITION: Similar to examples of S.lulli except for smaller size of series.
LIMBS:(Unknown).
M. S. Stevens et al. 2023Smaller species of Promerycochoerus (M1- 3 length = 73-83 mm), with zygomatic arches that are not as robust as those of P. chelydra, but more robust than those of P. leidyi.