Leptauchenia

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Leptauchenia Fossil range: Late Oligocene
Leptauchenia decora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: †Merycoidodontidae Subfamily: †Leptaucheniinae Tribe: †Leptaucheniini Genus: †Leptauchenia Leidy, 1856
Type species
Leptauchenia decora Leidy, 1856
Species
† L. decora † L. major
Synonyms
† Brachymeryx † Cyclopidius † Hadroleptauchenia † Pithecistes † Pseudocyclopidius

Leptauchenia ("Delicate Neck") was a genus of small, goat-like oreodonts with proportionally big heads found throughout North America during the Late Oligocene. Because skeletons of Leptauchenia have been found by the literal thousands (in even greater numbers than the related genus Sespia), it is often quoted as being the most numerous mammal in North America during the Late Oligocene.^[1] It had high-crowned, hypsodont teeth which were used to chew gritty vegetation.

Because the eyes and nostrils were placed high on the head, it was long assumed that Leptauchenia was an aquatic, or semi-aquatic animal. However, because their fossils have never been found in floodplain deposits or river channels, and their plague-like abundance in fossil sand dunes, Donald Prothero suggests that they were desert-dwelling animals.^[2] According to Prothero's interpretation, the high-placed eyes and nostrils served to filter out sand while burrowing.

[edit] References

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