| Leptotragulus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Protoceratidae |
| Genus: | †Leptoreodon Scott & Osborn, 1887 |
| Referred species | |
| |
Leptotragulus is a small extinct genus of protoceratid, endemic to North America from the Eocene epoch (Uintan to Chadronian stage) 40.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 6.3 million years.
Taxonomy[]
Leptotragulus was named by Scott and Osborn (1887). It was assigned to Leptotragulinae by Matthew (1908); to Hypertragulidae by Peterson (1919); and to Protoceratidae by Scott and Osborn (1887), Carroll (1988), Prothero (1998) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).
Morphology[]
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.
Body mass[]
Four fossil specimens of Prosynthetoceras were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass.
- Specimen 1: 8.79 kg (19 lb)
- Specimen 2: 11.1 kg (24 lb)
- Specimen 3: 8.85 kg (20 lb)
- Specimen 3: 9.91 kg (22 lb)