Sespia
| Sespia Temporal range: Late Oligocene
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|---|---|
| File:Sespia californica in San Diego.jpg | |
| Sespia californica fossils in San Diego | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Merycoidodontidae |
| Tribe: | †Sespiini |
| Genus: | †Sespia Stock, 1930 |
| Type species | |
| †Leptauchenia nitida | |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Sespia ("of Sespe Creek") is an extinct genus of oreodont endemic to North America. They lived during the Late Oligocene 26.3—24.8 mya, existing for approximately 1.5 million years.[1] Sespia was cat to goat-sized and desert-dwelling.[citation needed] The genus was closely related to the larger Leptauchenia.
Fossils of the best known species, the cat-sized S. californica, have been found in California and are known from literally thousands of specimens. The largest species, the goat-sized S. ultima, is known from Late Oligocene deposits in Nebraska. S. ultima was once placed in a separate monotypic genus as Megasespia middleswarti. Other species were once placed within Leptauchenia.
Palaeoecology
[edit | edit source]Paired analysis of its dental mesowear and microwear suggests that S. nitida was a folivorous browser.[2]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Sespia at fossilworks
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External links
[edit | edit source]- [1] San Diego Natural History Museum "Fossil Mysteries Field Guide: Sespia californica
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