In Depth Although not especially one of the most well-known of the entelodonts, Paraentelodon is one of the largest known genera being comparable to Entelodon and Daeodon in size. Paraentelodon appears in Asia as the earlier Entelodon began to decline and continues to be largest currently known genus of entelodont in Asia in the early … Read more
In Depth Phiomicetus is a genus of protocetid whale that lived in North Africa during the Eocene. Analysis of the jaws and teeth shows that Phiomicetus would have been a powerful predator, possibly feeding upon a variety of prey animals. Phiomicetus also seems to have still been capable of easily walking about on land when … Read more
In Depth Brachyhyops was an early entelodont that roamed across North America long before the emergence of large entelodonts such as Daeodon. There is some confusion about Brachyhyops however regarding another genus called Eoentelodon from Asia. In 2004 Eoentelodon was found to the same genus as Brachyhyops in a study by Lucas and Emry, however … Read more
In Depth Eoentelodon was a relatively small and early genus of entelodont that acquired its name from its early appearance on the landscape before the much larger Entelodon. However, its validity as a valid genus has been disputed, most specifically in a 2004 study by Lucas and Emry which saw the genus being declared to … Read more
In Depth Whakakai is a genus of whale that lived in waters around New Zealand during the Oligocene. Further Reading - Archaic baleen whale from the Kokoamu Greensand: earbones distinguish a new late Oligocene mysticete (Cetacea: Mysticeti) from New Zealand. - Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 46(2):117-138. - C. H. Tsai & … Read more
In Depth Named in 2014, not much can be said about Surameryx because the genus has been named from just a lower left jaw. However, by being recovered from a late Miocene aged deposit, we do know that the presence of Surameryx in South America is a rare example of a mammal with North American … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – On some of the characters of the Miocene fauna of Oregon. – Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 18(102):63-78. – E. D. Cope – 1878. – Taxonomy and distribution of Daeodon, an Oligocene-Miocene entelodont (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from North America. – Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 111 (2): 425–435. … Read more
In Depth Although often associated with Western Europe where remains were first documented, Megaloceros was actually widespread across Eurasia. The type species of Megaloceros, M. giganteus, is by far the largest and is more commonly known as the ‘Irish Elk’, ‘Irish Deer’ or just simply ‘Giant Deer’. As a genus however, Megaloceros shows a varied number of sizes across … Read more
In Depth Merycopotamus is a genus of anthracothere mammal that lived in both Africa and Asia during from the Miocene to Pliocene periods. Further Reading - A New Species of Bothriodontinae, Merycopotamus thachangensis (Cetartiodactyla, Anthracotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of Nakhon Ratchasima, Northeastern Thailand. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (4): 1182–1188. - R. Hanta, … Read more
In Depth Protororqualus is a genus of rorqual baleen whale that lived in European waters during the Pliocene period. Protororqualus is seen to be more primitive in form and living at time when other kinds of rorqual whales were already developing more advanced features. Further reading - Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic relationships of the rorqual-like … Read more