| Trigenicus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Protoceratidae |
| Genus: | †Trigenicus Douglass, 1903 |
| Species: | †T. profectus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Trigenicus profectus Douglass, 1903 | |
Trigenicus profectus is an extinct genus of protoceratid endemic to North America from the Late Eocene epoch (Chadronian stage) 37.2—33.9 Ma, existing for approximately 3.3 million years.
Taxonomy[]
Trigenicus was named by Douglass (1903) and treated as a synonym of Leptotragulus by Tabrum and Nichols 2001, but without discussion of Storer 1996. Its type is Trigenicus socialis. It was assigned to Protoceratidae by Douglass (1903) and Prothero (1998).
Morphology[]
Trigenicus 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[]
A single specimen of Trigenicus were measured by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass. The specimen was determined to weigh:
- Specimen 1: 39.9 kg (88 lb)