Protoceratinae

Protoceratinae
Temporal range: Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: †Protoceratidae
Subfamily: †Protoceratinae

Protoceratinae is a subfamily of Protoceratidae belonging to the order Artiodactyla endemic to North America living during the Oligocene to Miocene epoch, 33.9—15.97 Ma, existing for approximately 17.93 million years.[1]

Contents

Taxonomy

Protoceratinae was considered paraphyletic by Prothero (1998) and Webb et al. (2003). It was assigned to Hypertragulidae by Matthew (1908); and to Protoceratidae by Webb (1981), Prothero (1998), Webb et al. (2003) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).[2][3][4][5]

Members

Paratoceras and Protoceras

Fossil distribution

Fossil evidence is exclusive to Protoceras celar at 33.9 Ma recovered from Saskatchewan.

References

  1. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Protoceratinae, basic info
  2. ^ D. R. Prothero. 1998. Protoceratidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary mammals of North America 431-438
  3. ^ S. D. Webb, B. L. Beatty, and G. Poinar, Jr. 2003. New evidence of Miocene Protoceratidae including a new species from Chiapas, Mexico. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 279:348-367
  4. ^ W. D. Matthew. 1908. Osteology of Blastomeryx and phylogeny of the American Cervidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 24(27):535-562
  5. ^ D. R. Prothero. 1998. Protoceratidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary mammals of North America 431-438