Perchoerus | |
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Fossils in Berlin | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Tayassuidae |
Genus: | † Perchoerus Leidy, 1869 |
Species | |
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Synonyms [1] | |
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Perchoerus is an extinct genus of suine from the Eocene and Oligocene of North America. Three species are known. [1] [2] While often considered to be a peccary, other studies have recovered it to be a basal suine outside of either peccaries or Suidae. [3] The oldest known species of Perchoerus is P. minor, which was only the size of a house cat. It is known from skull and tooth material. The later P. nanus of the Orellan grew larger and is known from a skull and lower jaw. The latest and largest species was P. probus of the Oligocene (32-30 mya). It was much larger (about as big as living peccaries) and known from more remains than the other species. [1] [4]
Low δ13C values from the teeth of P. probus suggest that it was an inhabitant of dense riparian habitats. [5]