Archaeomeryx

Archaeomeryx is an extinct genus of ruminant that lived early in the Eocene.[1][2][3] It is believed to be close to the ancestry of the group Pecora, which includes deer, giraffes, cows and their relatives. Unlike the modern members of this group, it had a set of functioning incisors in the upper jaw.[4] It was small in size, comparable to a modern-day mouse deer.[5] It was also very rabbit-like and had several distinctive characteristics.[6] It lived in present-day China 35 to 40 million years ago.[7]

Archaeomeryx
Temporal range: Early Eocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Archaeomerycidae
Genus: Archaeomeryx
Matthew and Granger, 1925
Species
  • Archaeomeryx optatus

References

  • The Beginning of the Age of Mammals by Kenneth Rose
  1. "Archaeomeryx -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on 2008-12-14..
  2. "Nature.com". Archived from the original on 2008-12-14..
  3. Rose, Kenneth D. (2006-09-26). The Beginning of the Age of Mammals - Google Book Search. ISBN 9780801884726. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22..
  4. "Toothless cud chewers, To see ourselves as others see us... - USATODAY.com". USA Today. 2006-09-05. Archived from the original on 2008-12-13. Retrieved 2010-04-25..
  5. "Browse - Encyclopédie Universalis". Archived from the original on 2008-12-14..
  6. "Title". Archived from the original on 19 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  7. Brenson, Michael (1988-09-02). "New York Times". Retrieved 2008-12-14.


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