Surameryx

Su-rah-meh-riks.
By Cassidy Wood
Published on

Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Wood, C. (2015, December 7). Surameryx. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/surameryx/

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Name

Surameryx ‭(‬South ruminant‭)‬.

Phonetic

Su-rah-meh-riks.

Named By

D.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Prothero,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Campbell,‭ ‬B.L.‭ ‬Beatty‭ & ‬C.D.‭ ‬Frailey‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Artiodactyla,‭ ‬Ruminantia,‭ ‬Palaeomerycidae,‭ ‬Dromomerycinae.

Diet

Herbviore.

Species

S.‭ ‬acrensis‭

Size

Unknown due to lack of fossil remains.

Known locations

Brazil‭ ‬-‭ ‬Madre de Dios Formation.

Time Period

Tortonian-Messinian of the Miocene.

Fossil representation

Left lower jaw.

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 ancestry appearing in South America before the Pliocene.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬New late Miocene dromomerycine artiodactyl from Amazon Basin:‭ ‬implications for interchange dynamics.‭ ‬Journal of Paleontology‭ ‬88‭(‬3‭)‬:434-443.‭ ‬-‭ ‬D.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Prothero,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Campbell,‭ ‬B.L.‭ ‬Beatty‭ & ‬C.D.‭ ‬Frailey‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.

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