Sanitheriidae were extinct family of suoid artiodactyl ungulates that were once widely distributed in Africa, Europe, and South Asia, existing from the Early Miocene to the Middle Miocene. Unlike pigs and peccaries, the dentition and limb morphology suggests the sanitheres were more carnivorous and cursorial. The dentition in particular is similar to early ruminants. Only two genera are recognized: Sanitherium and Diamantohyus.[1][2][3]
Sanitheriidae Temporal range:
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Rostrum material of Diamantohyus africanus. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Suborder: | Suina |
Family: | †Sanitheriidae Simpson, 1945 |
Genera | |
References
edit- ^ Pickford, M. (1984). "A revision of the Sanitheriidae, a new family of Suiformes (Mammalia)". Geobios. 17 (2): 133–154. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(84)80139-4.
- ^ Pickford, M. (2004). "Miocene Sanitheriidae (Suiformes, Mammalia) from Namibia and Kenya: systematic and phylogenetic implications". Annales de Paléontologie. 90 (4): 223–278. doi:10.1016/j.annpal.2004.06.002.
- ^ Harris, J.M.; Liu, L.-P. (2007). "Superfamily Suoidea". In Prothero, D.R.; Foss, S.E. (eds.). The Evolution of Artiodactyls. The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 130–150. ISBN 9780801887352.