Parvitragulus (from Latin parvus, meaning "little", and tragulus, meaning "small goat", and thus, "little goat") is an extinct genus of hypertragulid ruminant endemic to North America with only one species, Parvitragulus priscus.[1] It lived during the Late Eocene, 37–33.7 Ma, existing for approximately 3 million years.[2] Its fossils have been found in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Texas. The species name come from Latin priscus, meaning ancient.[1]
| Parvitragulus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Hypertragulidae |
| Genus: | †Parvitragulus Emry, 1978 |
| Species: | †P. priscus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Parvitragulus priscus Emry, 1978 | |
 | |
| Range of Nanotragulus based on fossil record | |
Parvitragulus were primitive and ancient ruminants, resembling small deer or musk deer, although they were more closely related to modern chevrotains. Its diet is stated[by whom?] to be that of a frugivore.[1]
References
edit- 1 2 3 Emry, Robert J. (1978). "A New Hypertragulid (Mammalia, Ruminantia) from the Early Chadronian of Wyoming and Texas". Journal of Paleontology. 52 (5): 1004–1014. ISSN 0022-3360.
- ↑ Prothero, Donald R.; Emry, Robert J. (2004). "5. The Chadronian, Orellan, and Whitneyan North American Land Mammal Ages". In Woodburne, Michael O. (ed.). Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic Mammals of North America: Biostratigraphy and Geochronology. Columbia University Press. pp. 156–168. doi:10.7312/wood13040-007. ISBN 978-0-231-13040-0.
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