Prodinoceras

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Prodinoceras
Temporal range: Late Paleocene–Early Eocene
File:Prodinoceras skull.jpg
Skull of Prodinoceras martyr
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Dinocerata
Family: Prodinoceratidae
Genus: Prodinoceras
Matthew, Granger & Simpson, 1929
Species
  • P. diconicus (Tong, 1978)
  • P. martyr (Matthew et al, 1929)
Synonyms
  • Mongolotherium (Flerov, 1952)
  • Jiaoluotherium (Tong, 1978)
  • Houyanotherium (Tong, 1978)
  • Phenaceras (Tong, 1979)
  • Ganatherium (Tong, 1979)
  • Pyrodon (Zhai, 1978)

Prodinoceras, from Ancient Greek πρό (pró), meaning "before", δεινός (deinós), meaning "terrible", and κέρας (kéras), meaning "horn", is the earliest known dinocerate genus, which lived in the late Paleocene of Mongolia.[1]

Description

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Prodinoceras was rather large, reaching 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) in length.[2] It is also regarded as the most basal uintathere, as, although it had the characteristic fang-like tusks, it had yet to evolve the characteristic knob-like horns. The genus also bears 3 upper incisors, a trait lacking in later dinocerates. The astragalus also possesses a distinct neck and the trochlear facet is not expanded.[3]

Classification

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Prodinoceras possesses traits that indicate it is a sister group to the other derived dinocerates.[4] Most literature posits Prodinoceras and Probathyopsis as close relatives.[1][3]

Phylogeny of dinocerates, in accordance with Scott et al.[4]

Prodinoceras

References

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