Kingdom Animalia Class Mammalia Family †Protoceratidae | Phylum Chordata Order Artiodactyla Rank Genus | |
Similar Protoceras, Protoceratidae, Syndyoceras, Kyptoceras, Hypertragulus | ||
Heteromeryx is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Protoceratidae, endemic to North America from the Eocene epoch (Duchesnean to Chadronian stage) 40.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 6.3 million years.
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Taxonomy
Heteromeryx was named by Matthew (1905). Its type is Heteromeryx dispar. It was assigned to Protoceratidae by Matthew (1905), Carroll (1988), Prothero (1998) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).
Morphology
Heteromeryx resembled deer. However they were more closely related to camelids. In addition to having horns in the more usual place, protoceratids had additional, rostral horns above the orbital cavity.
Body mass
Three fossil specimens of Prosynthetoceras were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass.
Fossil distribution
Fossils have been recovered from: