Achaenodon

Achenodon is an extinct artiodactyl mammal, possibly belonging to the eloiids.[1] It lived in the Mid-To-Upper Eocene (about 43-39 million years ago) and its fossil remains have been found in North America.[2]

Achaenodon
Temporal range: Mid-to-Upper Eocene
Reconstruction of the skull of Achaenodon robustus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: †Helohyidae
Genus: †Achaenodon
Species
  • †A. robustus

Description

This animal was large and had to look vaguely like a giant wild boar. The size of Achaenodon was to reach that of an American black bear (Ursus americanus): it was about two meters long and had to weigh about 285 kilograms.[3] Achaenodon's snout was very short and sturdy, with large sideways expanded zygomatic arches, making the skull extremely wide. There was a very high sagittal crest, which connected later to an expanded nuchal crest; these two structures, together with the large cheekbone arches, indicate that the musculature of the jaws was extremely powerful.

Achaenodon's teeth were characterized by large curved canines and large post-dumping teeth with a bunodont structure. The dental formula was typical of the artiodactyls with three incisors, a canine, four premolars and three molars; the first lower premolar was present in young people and, growing up, was expelled due to the growth of the canine. The upper molars were square in shape and equipped with four large conical cusps, surrounded by sturdy precing and postcingulation and extraordinarily thickened enamel. One particular species (A. frendi) still possessed protoconulo and hypoconus, which disappeared in the other achenodonts (Lucas et al., 2004).

Achaenodon's front legs were short, the metacarps were not melted, and the hand had four fingers. The hind legs were slightly longer.

Classification

First described in 1893 by Edward Drinker Cope, Achaenodon is best known for fossil remains from the Wyoming Middle Eocene. The type species is Achaenodon insolens, but other species (A. robustus, A. uintense, A. frendi) are also known, all from California, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The affinities of Achaenodon are unclear: for a long time this animal has been classified among the entelodontids, the so-called "terror pigs" typical of the Oligocene and Miocene; this classification was mainly due to the large size of Achaenodon and the similarities in the particularly massive teeth. In fact, the similarities between Achaenodon and entelodonts were mainly due to evolutionary convergence and the development of characteristics due to the large size

It is likely, however, that Achaenodon was a highly specialized representative of the heloiids (Helohyidae), a group of primitive artiodactyls typical of the North American and Asian Eocene, usually much smaller in size. Achaenodon, if he had actually been a giant eloiid, would also have been the last representative of the family (except the Mexican Simojovelhyus, dating back to the Upper Oligocene). An animal closely related to Achaenodon is Parahyus, of smaller size. Other studies have indicated that Achaenodon could be a baseline representative of the Cetancodontamorpha group (Spaulding et al., 2009).

Paleoecology

The large size of Achaenodon made it a difficult target for middle Eocene carnivores. Achaenodon was the first large artiodactyl, and remained the only artiodactyl to be part of the megafauna throughout the Eocene; even after the disappearance of this animal, there were no other large artiodactyls for at least 5 million years, with the appearance of Archaeotherium.

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References
  1. Osborn, 1883. "Achaenodon robustus; YPM VPPU 010033 (HOLOTYPE); North America; USA; Wyoming; Sweetwater County; Princeton 1878 Expedition, Princeton 1878 Expedition; 1878". collections.peabody.yale.edu.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. "Achaenodon (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the Eocene Clarno Formation, Oregon, and the age of the Hancock quarry local fauna | Celebrating New Mexico Statehood". nmstatehood.unm.edu.
  3. "Achaenodon robustus". prehistoric-fauna.com.
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