Kingdom Animalia Class Mammalia Family †Protoceratidae | Phylum Chordata Order Artiodactyla Rank Genus | |
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Similar Protoceratidae, Syndyoceras, Protoceras, Agriochoerus, Kyptoceras | ||
Leptotragulus is a small extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Protoceratidae, endemic to North America from the Eocene epoch (Uintan to Chadronian stage) 40.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 6.3 million years.
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Taxonomy
Leptotragulus was named by Scott and Osborn (1887). It was assigned to Leptotragulinae by Matthew (1908); to Hypertragulidae by Peterson (1919); and to Protoceratidae by Scott and Osborn (1887), Carroll (1988), Prothero (1998) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).
Morphology
Leptotragulus 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
Four 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: