Skip to content
Uintatherium
EntityQ131558· pop 31· linked from 38 articles

Uintatherium

Sign in to save

Uintatherium is an extinct genus of dinoceratan mammal that lived during the Eocene epoch. Two species are currently recognized: U. anceps is found in the United States and lived during the early to middle Eocene (50.5–37 million years ago), while U. insperatus is found in China and lived during the middle and late Eocene (48–37 million years ago). The first fossils of Uintatherium were recovered from the Fort Bridger Basin and were initially believed to belong to a new species of brontothere. Several previously recognized species, as well as genera such as Edward Drinker Cope's Loxolophodon a

Wikidata facts

Mass
4500
Image
Skeleton of Uintatherium anceps.jpg
Height
1.7
Length
4
Show 4 more facts
Commons category
Uintatherium
taxon name
Uintatherium
start time
45000000-0
end time
37000000-0
Sources (1)

via Wikidata · CC0

~37 min read

Article

21 sections
Contents
  • Taxonomy
  • Early history
  • Classification
  • Description
  • Skull
  • Endocast anatomy
  • Dentition
  • Vertebral column
  • Limbs
  • Front limbs
  • Hind limbs
  • Size
  • Paleoecology
  • Diet and lifestyle
  • Paleoenvironment
  • Contemporary fauna
  • North America
  • Asia
  • Notes
  • References
  • Further reading

Uintatherium is an extinct genus of dinoceratan mammal that lived during the Eocene epoch. Two species are currently recognized: U. anceps is found in the United States and lived during the early to middle Eocene (50.5–37 million years ago), while U. insperatus is found in China and lived during the middle and late Eocene (48–37 million years ago). The first fossils of Uintatherium were recovered from the Fort Bridger Basin and were initially believed to belong to a new species of brontothere. Several previously recognized species, as well as genera such as Edward Drinker Cope's Loxolophodon and Othniel Charles Marsh's Tinoceras, are now assigned to Uintatherium anceps.

The systematic position of Uintatherium and other dinoceratans has long been debated. Originally, they were assigned to the order Amblypoda, which united various early ungulates from the Paleogene. Amblypoda has since fallen out of use. The most widespread hypothesis is that dinoceratans are related to the South American xenungulates, together forming a mirorder called Uintatheriamorpha. If this is correct, dinoceratans, and thus Uintatherium, would not be ungulates at all. However, it is possible that the traits shared between the two groups evolved independently. Within Dinocerata itself, Uintatherium belongs to the family Uintatheriidae and is one of two members of Uintatheriinae; the other two are Eobasileus and Tetheopsis.

Gallery (14)

Connections

Categories