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Promerycochoerus (Desmatochoerus)

Mammalia - Merycoidodontidae

Taxonomy
Promerycochoerus (Desmatochoerus) was named by Thorpe (1921) [named as a subgenus of Promerycohoerus by Thorpe 1921 and treated as such by Thorpe 1937; raised to genus level]. It is the type subgenus of Desmatochoerinae.

It was synonymized subjectively with Eporeodon by Lander (1998); it was reranked as Desmatochoerus by Schultz and Falkenbach (1954), Stevens and Stevens (1996), Stevens and Stevens (2007) and Stevens et al. (2023).

It was assigned to Promerycochoerus by Thorpe (1921); to Desmatochoerinae by Schultz and Falkenbach (1954); and to Promerycochoerinae by Stevens and Stevens (1996), Stevens and Stevens (2007) and Stevens et al. (2023).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1921Promerycochoerus (Desmatochoerus) Thorpe p. 241 figs. 6A, B
1933Hypselochoerus Loomis
1954Desmatochoerus Schultz and Falkenbach p. 177 figs. 4-7, 18, 23-25
1996Desmatochoerus Stevens and Stevens p. 533
2007Desmatochoerus Stevens and Stevens p. 160
2023Desmatochoerus Stevens et al. p. 55

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
RankNameAuthor
Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
Theriiformes()
Trechnotheria
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Euungulata
Artiodactylamorpha
Artiodactyla()
familyMerycoidodontidae
subfamilyPromerycochoerinae
genusPromerycochoerus
subgenusDesmatochoerus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
C. B. Schultz and C. H. Falkenbach 1954SKULL:Medium size, basal lengths ranging from 233 to 285 mm., widths from 136 to 196 mm.; dolichocephalic to mesocephalic; supra- occipital wings posteriorly extended beyond occipital condyles, but not widely spread; vacuities present on either side of midline of exoccipital above occipital condyles; sagittal crest long and high [higher than in D. (Paradesmatochoerus), decidedly higher than in Pseudodesmatochoerus]; brain case long and narrow, (not inflated to the degree found in Promerycochoerus); frontals comparatively narrow with prominent protuberance at mid- line above the orbits (protuberance varying in size within a single species, usually present in all individuals); nasals long and narrow; anterior nasal-maxilla contact above area of P 1 orbit moderately large, looking mostly outward and forward, oval vertically, with long axis sloping upward anteroposteriorly; squamosal moderately light to robust (lighter zygomatic arch usually designates a female example of species); zygomatic arch with noticeable inward curve or notch just pos- terior of the orbit; malar moderately deep below orbit; infraorbital foramen above pa_M 1; lacrimal fossa prominent; facial vacuity usually present; depression present on side of face above premolar region (similar to other genera of Desmatochoerinae); muzzle slightly inflated; premaxillae joined for short distance; occipital condyles of moderate size; paroccipital process long vertically, wide at base, and laterally compressed (differing from examples of Merycochoerus, Brachycrus, Ustatochoerus, Ticholeptus, and Promerycochoerus, in which paroccipital process is laterally ex- panded); bulla inflated, laterally compressed, long anteroposteriorly; postglenoid process robust.
MANDIBLE: Moderately light, postsymphysis below PrP 4; symphysis elongated; ramus moderately shallow; muzzle slightly inflated inferior border of ramus almost parallel to alveolar border (P1-M2) with a noticeable downward curve posterior to M2; ascending ramus moderately high; condyle moderately large and robust, set at less than right angle to axis of dental series, with external border of condyle farther forward and higher than internal border.
DENTITION: Brachyodont (more so than in examples of Megoreodon, but similar to that of other examples of Desmatochoerinae from Miocene, less so than in Prodesmatochoerus from Oligocene); C/ and P1 large; /C approximately three times the size of Ia; superior premolars almost para!lel to alveo!ar border, not overlapping; supenor molars with moderately prominent external styles; PLP each with anterior intermediate crest; P2 and Pa each with posterior intermediate crest.
LIMBS: Moderately robust (similar to those of other genera of Desmatochoerinae, except for shorter· examples of Megoreodon and shorter and lighter ones of Prodesmatochoerus).
M. S. Stevens et al. 2023Medium to large oreodonts with deep lacrimal fossae; slight to prominent upward curvature on the back of the zygomatic arch; apophysis on posterior border of ramus projecting well behind the condyle; brachydont dentitions with deeply trenched molars.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialo
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingf
Diet: herbivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-08-31 14:37:21
Modified: 2005-08-31 16:37:21
Source: f = family, o = order, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Lillegraven 1979, Nowak 1999, Lander 1998, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009
Collections
No collection or age range data are available