Hypertragulidae

Hypertragulidae Temporal range: Late Eocene–Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Hypertragulus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Ruminantia
Infraorder:	Tragulina
Family:	† Hypertragulidae Cope, 1879
Genera
Hypertragulus Hypisodus Nanotragulus Notomeryx Parvitragulus Simimeryx

Hypertragulidae is an extinct family of Paleogene ruminants endemic to North America from the Eocene until the Oligocene. ^[1]

The Hypertragulidae are basal ruminants that resembled small deer or musk deer in life. However, neither deer, nor musk deer are considered to be closely related to the hypertragulids. Instead, the chevrotains are probably the closest living relatives to these ancient deer-like animals.

Taxonomy

Hypertragulidae was named by Edward Drinker Cope and considered paraphyletic by W. D. Matthew. It was assigned to Ruminantia by Matthew and William King Gregory; to Pecora by H.J. Cook; and to Traguloidea by Carroll. ^{[2] [3] [4]} Members of Protoceratidae, like Syndyoceras , have formerly been assigned to Hypertragulidae. ^[5]

Morphology

Hypertragulidae have tetradactyl front feet and didactyl rear feet, which is specific to this family and no other ruminants. ^[5] They ranged in body mass from as small as 2.16 kg (4.8 lb) with Parvitragulus to as large as 4.24 kg (9.3 lb) in Hypisodus .^{[ citation needed ]} Most members lack a cannon-bone, but the radius and the ulna are coössified. The canines of most Hypertragulids are enlarged and tusk-like to some degree. ^[5]

References

1. "PaleoBiology Database: Hypertragulidae, basic info". Archived from the original on 2012-10-14. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
2. W. D. Matthew. 1908. Osteology of Blastomeryx and phylogeny of the American Cervidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 24(27):535-562
3. W. K. Gregory. 1910. The orders of mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 27:1-524
4. H. J. Cook. 1934. New artiodactyls from the Oligocene and Lower Miocene of Nebraska. American Midland Naturalist 15(2):148-165
5. Scott, William Berryman; Scott, William Berryman (1913). A history of land mammals in the Western Hemisphere; illustrated with 32 plates and more than 100 drawings. New York: Macmillan.