| Leptoreodon | |
|---|---|
| |
| An artist's illustration of a Leptoreodon head (top middle) compared with other protoceratids | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Protoceratidae |
| Genus: | †Leptoreodon Wortman, 1898 |
| Referred species | |
| |
Leptoreodon is a extinct genus of small protoceratid endemic to North America from the Eocene epoch (Uintan to Duchesnean stage) 40.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 6.3 million years
Taxonomy[]
Leptoreodon was named by Wortman (1898). It was assigned to Hypertragulidae by Peterson (1919); and to Protoceratidae by Wortman (1898), Carroll (1988), Prothero (1998) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).
Morphology[]
Leptoreodon 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.
Body mass[]
Four fossil specimens of Prosynthetoceras were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass.
- Specimen 1: 12.5 kg (28 lb)
- Specimen 2: 10.3 kg (23 lb)
- Specimen 3: 9.50 kg (21 lb)
- Specimen 3: 10.6 kg (23 lb)