| Oxydactylus Temporal range: late Oligocene to ?middle Miocene |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Camelidae |
| Tribe: | Camelini |
| Genus: | †Oxydactylus |
| Species | |
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†Oxydactylus wyomingensis |
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Oxydactylus, is an extinct terrestrial herbivorous genus of the tribe Camelini, family Camelidae, endemic to North America Oligocene through the Middle Miocene (30.8–13.6 mya) and in existence for approximately 17.2 million years.[1]
Oxydactylus is from the Ancient Greek οξύς (oxys, "sharp")and δάκτυλος (daktylos, "finger")
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Oxydactylus was named by Peterson in 1904. Its type is Oxydactylus longipes. It was assigned to Camelidae by Peterson (1904) and Carroll (1988).[2]
They had very long legs and necks, and were probably adapted to eating high vegetation, much like modern giraffes. Unlike modern camelids, they had hooves, rather than tough sole-pads and splayed toes.[3]
Four specimens were examined by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for estimated body mass.[4]
O. benedentatus (syn. Procamelus concerptus), O. cameloides, O. campestris, O. lacota, O. longipes (type species), O. longirostris, O. lulli, O. wyomingensis