Palaeosyops

Taxobox
name = "Paleosyops"
status = fossil
fossil_range = Early to Middle Eocene
regnum = Animalia

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Palaeosyops leidyi" skeleton.
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Perissodactyla
familia = Brontotheriidae
genus = "Paleosyops"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "P. paludosus"
* "P. major"
* "P. humilis"
* "P. junius"

"Paleosyops" is a genus of small brontothere. These animals are commonly found in Wyoming fossil beds primarily as fossilized teeth. From all of the species of this animal, it is concluded that "P. major" was the largest, reaching the size of a tapir. Its describer, Joseph Leidy, erroneously thought that "Palaeosyops" consumed both plants and animals after examining the fang-like canines. However, it is now known that all brontotheres were strict herbivores, and that many, if not most genera of hornless brontotheres had fang-like canines, possibly for both defense from predators, and intraspecific competition.

External links

[http://www.ansp.org/museum/leidy/paleo/paleosyops.php]