Prodinoceras

Prodinoceras
Temporal range: Late Paleocene
Prodinoceras xinjiangensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Dinocerata
Family: Uintatheriidae
Genus: Prodinoceras
Matthew, Granger & Simpson, 1929
Synonyms
  • Mongolotherium Flerov, 1952
  • Jiaoluotherium Tong, 1978
  • Houyanotherium Tong, 1978
  • Phenaceras Tong, 1979
  • Ganatherium Tong, 1979
  • Pyrodon Zhai, 1978

Prodinoceras ("Before Terrible Horns") was the earliest known uintathere genus, which lived in the late Paleocene of Mongolia. It was a relatively small uintathere, reaching 2.9 m (9.5 ft) in length.[1] It is also regarded as the most basal uintathere, as, although it had the characteristic fang-like tusks, it had yet to evolve the characteristic knob-like horns.

It is very similar to its North American counterpart, Probathyopsis. All experts regard it as Prodinoceras' sister genus.

References

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