Cuyamacamelus

Cuyamacamelus
Temporal range: Miocene
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Family: Camelidae
Genus: Cuyamacamelus
Kelly (1992)
Genera
  • C. jamesi

Cuyamacamelus is an extinct genus of terrestrial herbivore the family Camelidae, endemic to North America during the Miocene 23.03—5.3 mya existing for approximately 17.73 million years.[1]

Taxonomy

Cuyamacamelus was named by Kelly (1992). Its type is Cuyamacamelus jamesi. It was assigned to Camelidae by Kelly (1992) and Honey et al. (1998); and to Miolabinae by Whistler and Webb (2005).[2][3]

Morphology

A single specimen was examined for estimated body mass by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist. The specimen was estimated to weigh 485.4 kg (1,100 lb).[4]

References

  1. PaleoBiology Database: Cuyamacamelus, basic info
  2. J. G. Honey, J. A. Harrison, D. R. Prothero and M. S. Stevens. 1998. Camelidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America 1:439-462
  3. D. P. Whistler and S. D. Webb. 2005. New goatlike camelid from the Late Pliocene of Tecopa Lake Basin, California. Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 503:1-40
  4. M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist. 2006. Estimating the body mass of extinct ungulates: a study on the use of multiple regression. Journal of Zoology 270(1):90-101