Oxydactylus
Appearance
Oxydactylus Temporal range:
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Skeleton of Oxydactylus campestris in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Camelidae |
Tribe: | Camelini |
Genus: | †Oxydactylus Peterson 1904 |
Type species | |
†Oxydactylus longipes | |
Species | |
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Oxydactylus is an extinct genus of camelid endemic to North America. It lived from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene (28.4–13.7 mya), existing for approximately 14 million years.[1] The name is from the Ancient Greek οξύς (oxys, "sharp")and δάκτυλος (daktylos, "finger").
![](http://upload.luquay.com/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Oxydactylus_longipes.jpg/220px-Oxydactylus_longipes.jpg)
They had very long legs and necks, and were probably adapted to eating high vegetation, much like modern giraffes. Unlike modern camelids, they had hooves, rather than tough sole-pads, and splayed toes.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ Oxydactylus at fosilworks
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 277. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
Categories:
- Prehistoric camelids
- Oligocene Artiodactyla
- Miocene Artiodactyla
- Serravallian genus extinctions
- Miocene mammals of North America
- Oligocene mammals of North America
- Prehistoric Artiodactyla genera
- Chattian genus first appearances
- Aquitanian genera
- Burdigalian genera
- Langhian genera
- Fossil taxa described in 1904
- Prehistoric Artiodactyla stubs