Phylum Chordata Order Artiodactyla Rank Genus | ||
Similar Kyptoceras, Syndyoceras, Protoceras, Hypertragulus, Protoceratidae | ||
Trigenicus is a small extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Protoceratidae, endemic to North America from the Late Eocene epoch (Chadronian stage) 37.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 3.3 million years.
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Taxonomy
Trigenicus was named by Douglass (1903) and treated as a synonym of Leptotragulus by Tabrum and Nichols 2001, but without discussion of Storer 1996. Its type is Trigenicus socialis. It was assigned to Protoceratidae by Douglass (1903) and Prothero (1998).
Morphology
Trigenicus 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
A single specimen of Trigenicus were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass. The specimen was determined to weigh:
Fossil distribution
Fossils have been recovered from: