Kingdom Animalia Class Mammalia Family †Merycoidodontidae | Phylum Chordata Order Artiodactyla Rank Genus | |
Similar Merycochoerus, Eporeodon, Mesoreodon, Miniochoerus, Brachycrus | ||
Oreodontoides is an extinct genus of oreodont of the family Merycoidodontidae, subfamily Merycoidodontinae, endemic to North America during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene subepochs (24.8—20.6 mya), existing for approximately 4.2 million years.
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Taxonomy
Oreodontoides was named by Thorpe (1923) (named as subgenus of Eporeodon by Thorpe in 1921) and raised to genus level. It was synonymized subjectively with Merychyus by Loomis in 1924 and assigned to Merycoidodontidae by Thorpe in 1923 and 1937, (1923), by Schultz and Falkenbach (1947) and Lander (1998).
Morphology
A single specimen was examined by M. Mendoza for body mass and was estimated to have a weight of 34.9 kg (76.9 lbs).
Fossil distribution
Fossils have been uncovered throughout the western U.S. including Wheeler and Grant County, Oregon, Laramie County, Wyoming, Washabaugh County, South Dakota.
Species
Oreodontoides oregonensis (synonymous with Desmatochoerus anthyonyi, Merychyus curtus).