Paratoceras

Paratoceras Temporal range: Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Tylopoda
Family:	†Protoceratidae
Subfamily:	†Protoceratinae
Genus:	Paratoceras Frick (1937)
Species
P. macadamsi P. tedfordi P. wardi
Range of Paratoceras based on fossil record

Paratoceras is a medium-sized extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Protoceratidae, endemic to North America from the Miocene epoch, 16.3—15.97 Ma, existing for approximately 0.33 million years.^[1]

Taxonomy

Paratoceras was named by Frick (1937). Its type is Paratoceras macadamsi. It was assigned to Protoceratidae by Frick (1937) and Carroll (1988); and to Protoceratinae by Webb (1981), Prothero (1998), Webb et al. (2003) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).^[2][3][4]

Morphology

Poabromylus resembled deer. However they were more closely related to camelids. In addition to having horns in the more usual place, protoceratids had additional, rostral horns above the orbital cavity. Poabromylus was larger than Eocene members of Tylopoda: Heteromeryx, Leptoreodon, Leptotragulus, Toromeryx, Trigenicus, and Poabromylus.

Body mass

A single fossil specimen of Poabromylus was measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass.^[5] The specimen was determined to weigh:

• Specimen 1: 73.3 kg (160 lb)

Fossil distribution

Fossils have been recovered from:

• Gaillard Cut, Panama
• Balumtum Sandstone Formation, Chiapas, Mexico
• Suchilquitongo Formation, state of Oaxaca, Mexico
• Trinity River Pit 1, Fleming Formation, San Jacinto County, Texas

References