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''Entelodon'' (meaning 'complete teeth', from
''Entelodon'' was a fairly typical
Google Books
/ref> Its long, wide head was supported by a robust, short neck, and its cheekbones were greatly enlarged and protruded noticeably from the sides of the head. Though it was more closely related to
Based on its Paleobiology Database:Entelodon dirus
/ref>
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
''entelēs'' 'complete' and ''odōn'' 'tooth', referring to its "complete" eutheria
Eutheria (from Greek , 'good, right' and , 'beast'; ), also called Pan-Placentalia, is the clade consisting of Placentalia, placental mammals and all therian mammals that are more closely related to placentals than to marsupials.
Eutherians ...
n dentition), formerly called ''Elotherium'', is an extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of entelodont artiodactyl endemic to Eurasia
Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...
. Fossils of species are found in Paleogene strata ranging in age from the Houldjinian (37.2–33.9 mya) until the Rupelian epoch of the early Oligocene
The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...
(33.9–28.4 mya).
Taxonomy
It is one of four entelodont genera native to Eurasia, the other three being the primitive '' Eoentelodon'' of lateEocene
The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, '' Proentelodon'' of middle Eocene Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
and the gigantic '' Paraentelodon'' of mid-to-late Oligocene
The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...
Central Asia.
Description
''Entelodon'' was a fairly typical entelodont
Entelodontidae is an extinct family of pig-like artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates) which inhabited the Northern Hemisphere (Asia, Europe, and North America) from the late Eocene to the early Miocene epochs, about 38-19 million years ago. Their ...
, with a large, bulky body, slender legs, and a long snout.
Like other entelodonts, ''Entelodon'' had complete eutherian dentition (3 incisor
Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...
s, 1 canine, 3 premolar
The premolars, also called premolar Tooth (human), teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the Canine tooth, canine and Molar (tooth), molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per dental terminology#Quadrant, quadrant in ...
s, and 3 molars
The molars or molar teeth are large, flat tooth, teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammal, mammals. They are used primarily to comminution, grind food during mastication, chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, '' ...
per quadrant). It had only two toes on each foot, and its legs were built for fast running.Agustí, J and Antón, M (2002). ''Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe''. Retrieved froGoogle Books
/ref> Its long, wide head was supported by a robust, short neck, and its cheekbones were greatly enlarged and protruded noticeably from the sides of the head. Though it was more closely related to
hippos
A hippo or hippopotamus is either of two species of large African mammal which live mainly in and near water:
* Hippopotamus
* Pygmy hippopotamus
Hippo or Hippos may also refer to:
Toponymy
* The ancient city of Hippo Regius (modern Annaba, Alg ...
and whales
Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully Aquatic animal, aquatic placental mammal, placental marine mammals. As an informal and Colloquialism, colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea ...
than pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...
s, its skull was generally pig-like. It is presumed to have been an omnivore.
European species of ''Entelodon'' were around tall at the shoulders, with a skull. ''Entelodon major'', known from the Kutanbulak Formation in Kazakhstan was around tall at the shoulders, with an skull, making it one of the largest entelodonts.
Paleoecology
Based on its dental microwear Dental microwear analysis is a method to infer diet and behavior in extinct animals, especially in fossil specimens. It has been used on a variety of taxa, including hominids, victoriapithecids, amphicyonids, canids, ursids, hyaenids, hyaenodont ...
, ''E. magnus'' had an omnivorous diet comparable to that of the modern wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
.
''Entelodon'' remains are primarily known from Europe, although fossils have also been found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and even as far east as Japan.
''Entelodon magnus'' populated a broad swath of Europe, with remains found in Spain, Germany, France, Romania, and the Caucasus. Extensive remains of ''Entelodon deguilhemi'' were uncovered in Vayres-sur-Essonne, France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The Chinese ''Entelodon dirus'' is known from a single tooth discovered in Nei Mongol
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...
./ref>
See also
*References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q133847 Oligocene Artiodactyla Entelodonts Rupelian genus extinctions Oligocene mammals of Asia Oligocene mammals of Europe Fossil taxa described in 1846 Prehistoric Artiodactyla genera