Meniscotherium Temporal range: Early Eocene to
Late Eocene
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Skeleton | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Family: | † Phenacodontidae |
Subfamily: | † Meniscotheriinae |
Genus: | †
Meniscotherium Cope, 1874 |
Species | |
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Meniscotherium is an extinct genus of dog-sized mammal which lived 54–38 million years ago. It was a herbivore and had hooves. Fossils have been found in Utah, New Mexico. and Colorado. Many individuals have been found together, indicating that it lived in groups. [1]
Body mass in M. chamense is estimated to be 5–17 kg, making it about the size of a small dog. [2]
A 2014 cladistic analysis places it within stem perissodactyls. [3]