Metamynodon
Sign in to saveMetamynodon is an extinct genus of amynodont that lived in North America (White River Fauna) and Asia from the late Eocene until early Oligocene, although the questionable inclusion of M. mckinneyi could extend their range to the Middle Eocene. The various species were large, displaying a suit of semiaquatic adaptations more similar to those of the modern hippopotamus, despite their closer affinities with rhinoceroses.
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5 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Description
- Paleobiology
- See also
- References
Metamynodon is an extinct genus of amynodont that lived in North America (White River Fauna) and Asia from the late Eocene until early Oligocene, although the questionable inclusion of M. mckinneyi could extend their range to the Middle Eocene. The various species were large, displaying a suit of semiaquatic adaptations more similar to those of the modern hippopotamus, despite their closer affinities with rhinoceroses.
==Taxonomy== thumb|left|Restoration by Charles R. Knight Metamynodon is a member of the extinct family Amynodontidae, sometimes called "swamp rhinos" as they were once all believed to be semi-aquatic. It is split into two tribes: the semi-aquatic Metamynodontini–Paramynodon, Sellamynodon, Megalamynodon, and Metamynodon–and the tapir-like Cadurcodontini–Procadurcodon, Zaisanamynodon, Cadurcodon, and Cadurcotherium. The Metamynodontini are found across the world, with Paramynodon from Myanmar, Sellamynodon from Romania, and Megalamynodon and Metamynodon from North America. Megalamynodon is likely the ancestor of Metamynodon, though it is possible it could have evolved from an Asiatic ancestor.