Leptotragulus Temporal range: Eocene |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Synapsida |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | † |
Genus: |
†Leptotragulus Scott & Osborn, 1887 |
Species | |
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Range of Leptotragulus based on fossil record |
Leptotragulus is a small extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family , endemic to North America from the Eocene epoch (Uintan to Chadronian stage) 40.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 6.3 million years.
Leptotragulus was named by Scott and Osborn (1887). It was assigned to Leptotragulinae by Matthew (1908); to Hypertragulidae by Peterson (1919); and to by Scott and Osborn (1887), Carroll (1988), Prothero (1998) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).
Leptotragulus resembled deer. However they were more closely related to camelids. In addition to having horns in the more usual place, protoceratids had additional, rostral horns above the orbital cavity.
Four fossil specimens of Prosynthetoceras were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass.
Fossils have been recovered from: