Cuyamacamelus

Cuyamacamelus
Cuyamacamelus
Temporal range: Miocene
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Family: Camelidae
Genus: Cuyamacamelus
Kelly (1992)
Genera
  • C. jamesi

Cuyamacamelus is an extinct genus of terrestrial herbivore the family Camelidae, endemic to North America during the Miocene 23.03—5.3 mya existing for approximately 17.73 million years.[1]

Taxonomy

Cuyamacamelus was named by Kelly (1992). Its type is Cuyamacamelus jamesi. It was assigned to Camelidae by Kelly (1992) and Honey et al. (1998); and to Miolabinae by Whistler and Webb (2005).[2][3]

Morphology

A single specimen was examined for estimated body mass by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist. The specimen was estimated to weigh 485.4 kg (1,100 lb).[4]

References

  1. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Cuyamacamelus, basic info
  2. ^ J. G. Honey, J. A. Harrison, D. R. Prothero and M. S. Stevens. 1998. Camelidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America 1:439-462
  3. ^ D. P. Whistler and S. D. Webb. 2005. New goatlike camelid from the Late Pliocene of Tecopa Lake Basin, California. Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 503:1-40
  4. ^ M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist. 2006. Estimating the body mass of extinct ungulates: a study on the use of multiple regression. Journal of Zoology 270(1):90-101
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