Trogosus
Extinct genus of mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trogosus is an extinct genus of tillodont mammal. Fossils have been found in Wyoming,[2] California,[3] and British Columbia,[4] and date from the Eocene between 54.8 and 33.7 million years ago.
| Trogosus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Trogosus hyracoides skull at the National Museum of Natural History | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Tillodontia |
| Family: | †Esthonychidae |
| Subfamily: | †Trogosinae |
| Genus: | †Trogosus Leidy 1871 |
| Species[1] | |
| |
Description
Trogosus was a bear-like herbivore with a large, short skull and flat feet, and had a skull 35 cm (14 in) long with an estimated body weight of 150 kg (330 lb).[5] It had large, rodent-like incisors, which continued growing throughout the creature's life. Judging from the heavily worn molar teeth, Trogosus fed on rough plant material, such as roots and tubers.[6] Trogosus possessed an exposed midbrain, a small neocortex, an orbitotemporal canal ventral to rhinal fissure, large olfactory bulbs, and a broad circular fissure. Its tiny neocortex relative to contemporary carnivorans and artiodactyls may have disadvantaged it when escaping predation by the former and competing for resources with the latter.[2]
