Metridiochoerus
| Metridiochoerus Temporal range: Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene
| |
|---|---|
| File:Metridiochoerus NMNH.jpg | |
| Jaw of M. hopwoodi at National Museum of Natural History | |
| File:Extinct giant pigs.jpg | |
| M. andrewsi (centre) compared to a living Desert warthog (left) and Notochoerus eulius (right) | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Suidae |
| Subfamily: | Suinae |
| Genus: | †Metridiochoerus Hopwood, 1926 |
| Type species | |
| †Metridiochoerus andrewsi Hopwood, 1926
| |
| Species | |
| |
Metridiochoerus is an extinct genus of swine known from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Africa. It is also known as the giant warthog.
Chronology
[edit | edit source]The oldest specimen dates to around 3.4 million years ago from the Usno Formation in Ethiopia.[1] It probably evolved from a recent immigrant from Eurasia, which has been suggested to be the European "Postpotamochoerus" provincialis.[2] The youngest remains of the genus date to the Late Pleistocene in southern Africa (Zimababwe, and possibly South Africa).[3]
Description
[edit | edit source]
Metridiochoerus was a large animal, 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length, resembling a giant warthog. It had two pairs of large tusks which were pointed sideways and curved upwards.[4] The teeth, especially the third molars, become increasingly high-crowned (hypsodont) in later species.[1]
Biology
[edit | edit source]The various species are usually thought to have been grazers,[3] though this has been questioned for the earliest, low-crowned species.[1]
References
[edit | edit source]Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 392: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ M. Pickford ‘Locomotion, diet, body weight, origin and geochronology of Metridiochoerus andrewsi from the Gondolin Karst Deposits, Hauteng, South Africa’ Ann. Ditsong Natl. Mus. Nat. Hist., 3 (1) (2013), pp. 33-47
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Barry Cox, Colin Harrison, R.J.G. Savage, and Brian Gardiner. (1999): The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life. Simon & Schuster.
- David Norman . (2001): The Big Book Of Dinosaurs. pg. 226, Walcome books.
- World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures: The Ultimate Visual Reference To 1000 Dinosaurs And Prehistoric Creatures Of Land, Air And Sea ... And Cretaceous Eras (World Encyclopedia) by Dougal Dixon
External links
[edit | edit source]
Lua error in Module:Taxonbar at line 165: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
