Dichobunidae

Dichobunidae
Dichobunidae
Temporal range: Early Eocene–Late Oligocene
Aumelasia sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Eutheria
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: †Dichobunidae
Turner, 1849
Genera

see text

Dichobunidae is an extinct family of early even-toed hoofed mammals (artiodactyls) known from the early Eocene to late Oligocene of North America, Europe, and Asia. Dichobunidae includes some of the earliest known artiodactyls, such as Diacodexis.

They were small animals, about the size of a modern rabbit, and had many primitive features. In life, they would have appeared similar to a long-tailed muntjac. They had four or five toes on each foot, with each toe ending in a small hoof. They had a complete set of teeth, unlike most later artiodactyls, with their more specialist dentitions[1]. The shape of the teeth suggests that they were browsers, feeding off small leaves, perhaps in the forest undergrowth. The shape of their body and limbs suggests they would have been fast running animals, unlike most of their contemporaries[2].

Taxonomy

Classification of dichobunids following McKenna and Bell:[3]

  • † Family Dichobunidae
    • Paraphenacodus
    • Dulcidon
    • Chorlakkia
    • Pakibune
    • Subfamily Dichobuninae
      • Tribe Hyperdichobunini
        • Mouillacitherium
        • Hyperdichobune
      • Tribe Dichobunini
        • Aumelasia
        • Meniscodon
        • Messelobunodon
        • Dichobune
        • Buxobune
        • Neufferia
        • Metriotherium
        • Synaphodus
    • Subfamily Diacodexeinae
      • Diacodexis
      • Bunophorus
      • Protodichobune
      • Lutzia
      • Tapochoerus
      • Neodiacodexis
    • Subfamily Homacodontinae
      • Tribe Bunomerycini
        • Bunomeryx
        • Hylomeryx
        • Mesomeryx
        • Mytonomeryx
        • Pentacemylus
      • Tribe Homacodontini
        • Hexacodus
        • Antiacodon
        • Eygalayodon
        • Homacodon
        • Auxontodon
        • Microsus
        • Texodon
    • Subfamily Leptochoerinae
      • Stibarus
      • Ibarus
      • Laredochoerus
      • Leptochoerus

References

  1. ^ Savage, RJG, & Long, MR (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. New York: Facts on File. pp. 208–209. ISBN 0-8160-1194-X. 
  2. ^ Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. pp. 266. ISBN 1-84028-152-9. 
  3. ^ McKenna, M. C, and S. K. Bell (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 023111012X. 
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