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Bothriodontinae

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Bothriodontinae
Temporal range: Middle Eocene–Early Pliocene Survival in Hippopotamidae
Skull of Elomeryx
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Superfamily: Hippopotamoidea
Family: Anthracotheriidae
Subfamily: Bothriodontinae
Scott, 1940
Genera[1][2]

The bothriodontines are a paraphyletic assemblage of anthracotheres that originated from Eurasia in the late middle Eocene (Bartonian). The group can be distinguished from other anthracothere lineages by their upper molars having a mesostyle occupied by a transverse valley, selenodont cusps, a ventrally concave symphysis, elongated muzzles, and a diastema between the canine and first premolar tooth. During their evolution, the bothriodontines evolved from small basal forms such as Qatraniodon into larger taxa such as Libycosaurus and Merycopotamus. In some genera, the snouts became even more elongated and teeth specialized in a folivorous diet (e.g., Bothriodon, Aepinacodon), while others like Merycopotamus developed wide, heavy, and shallow muzzles with teeth more adapted for grazing.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lihoreau, F.; Ducrocq, S. (2007). "Family Anthracotheriidae". In Prothero, D.R.; Foss, S.E. (eds.). The Evolution of Artiodactyls. The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 89–105. ISBN 9780801887352.
  2. ^ Lihoreau, F.; Boisserie, J-R.; Manthi, F. K.; Ducrocq. S. (2015). "Hippos stem from the longest sequence of terrestrial cetartiodactyl evolution in Africa". Nature Communications. 6: 6264. Bibcode:2015NatCo...6.6264L. doi:10.1038/ncomms7264. PMID 25710445.