| Pseudoprotoceras Temporal range: Late Eocene | |
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| A fossil of Pseudoprotoceras longinaris | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Protoceratidae |
| Genus: | †Pseudoprotoceras Cook, 1934 |
| Referred species | |
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Pseudoprotoceras is an extinct genus of protoceratid endemic to central North America from the Eocene epoch (Late Uintan stage) 42—39.9 Ma, existing for approximately 2.1 million years.
Taxonomy[]
Pseudoprotoceras was named by Cook (1934). Its type is Pseudoprotoceras longinaris. It was synonymized subjectively with Poabromylus by Wilson (1974). It was assigned to Protoceratinae by Prothero (1998) and Webb et al. (2003); and to Protoceratidae by Cook (1934), Emry and Storer (1981), Carroll (1988) and Prothero and Ludtke (2007).
Morphology[]
Pseudoprotoceras 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 Pseudoprotoceras were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass.
- Specimen 1: 47.4 kg (100 lb)
- Specimen 2: 32.8 kg (72 lb)
- Specimen 3: 26.4 kg (58 lb)
- Specimen 3: 22.7 kg (50 lb)
Body mass was similar to other Eocene Protoceratidae such as Heteromeryx and Poabromylus yet greater than Leptotragulus and Leptoreodon. Miocene members were apparently larger as well.