Megalohyrax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Megalohyrax Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Hyracoidea |
| Family: | †Pliohyracidae |
| Genus: | †Megalohyrax Andrews, 1903 |
| Species: | †M. eocaenus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Megalohyrax eocaenus Andrews, 1903 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Mixohyrax Schlosser, 1910 | |
Megalohyrax is an extinct hyrax-grouped genus of herbivorous mammal that lived during the Oligocene, about 33-30 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in Africa and in Asia Minor.[1]
This animal was very different from the current hyraxes and much larger, generally reaching the size of a tapir[2][3] and sometimes exceeding 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in length. The legs were strong and the body very massive. The skull was long and low, unlike that of today's hyraxes, and could reach 391 mm (15.4 in) in length.[4] Length of upper premolars and molars is 75 mm (3.0 in) and 86 mm (3.4 in), respectively.[5] The dental formula of Megalohyrax was composed of three incisors, one canine, four premolars and three molars. It likely had an eustachian sac, a pouch-like structure found in some mammals that is connected to the eustachian tube.[4]
