Heptacodon is an extinct genus of anthracothere endemic to North America during the Paleogene (from the middle Eocene to the early Oligocene). They were medium to large-sized anthracotheres with a distinct facial features such short heavy rostrums and robust but simple molars. Heptacodon is a member of the anthracothere subfamily Anthracotheriinae, whose distribution as a whole are in North America and Eurasia. However Heptacodon has only been found in North America, with the species H. yeguaensis from Texas representing the oldest known anthracotheres to be found in North America dating to the middle Eocene. Fossils of this genus have been found in the states of North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and Utah.[1]

Heptacodon
Temporal range: Middle Eocene–Early Oligocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Anthracotheriidae
Subfamily: Anthracotheriinae
Genus: Heptacodon
Marsh, 1894a
Type species
Heptacodon curtus
Marsh, 1894a
Species
  • H. curtus Marsh, 1894a
  • H. gibbiceps Marsh, 1894c
  • H. occidentalis (Osborn & Wortman, 1894)
  • H. pellionis Storer, 1983
  • H. yeguaensis Holroyd, 2002
Synonyms
Genus synonymy
H. curtus synonymy
  • Anthracotherium curtum (Marsh, 1894a) sensu Matthew, 1899
  • Anthracotherium karense Osborn & Wortman, 1894
  • Octacodon karense (Osborn & Wortman, 1894) sensu Troxell, 1921
  • Octacodon valens Marsh, 1894b
H. gibbiceps synonymy
  • Anthracotherium gibbiceps (Marsh, 1894c) sensu Matthew, 1899
  • Octacodon gibbiceps (Marsh, 1894c) sensu Troxell, 1921
H. occidentalis synonymy
  • Anthracotherium curtum (in part) (Marsh, 1894a) sensu Osborn & Wortman, 1894
  • Anthracotherium occidentale Osborn & Wortman, 1894
  • Octacodon gibbiceps (in part) (Marsh, 1894c) sensu Troxell, 1921
  • Heptacodon quadratus Scott, 1940

References edit

  1. ^ 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.