Nyanzachoerus
| Nyanzachoerus Temporal range: Miocene–Pliocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nyanzachoerus khinzir skull in lateral and ventral view | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Suidae |
| Subfamily: | †Tetraconodontinae |
| Genus: | †Nyanzachoerus Leakey, 1958 |
| Type species | |
| Nyanzachoerus syrticus | |
| Species | |
| |
Nyanzachoerus is an extinct genus of the pig family (Suidae) belonging to the subfamily Tetraconodontinae. The several species of Nyanzachoerus lived in Africa from the Miocene to Pliocene.[1][2]
Description
This was a large pig, larger than living species.
Fossils of males of these species show that they had large lumps on their muzzle and widely flaring cheekbones. Their tusks were only of moderate size. It can be assumed that the ornaments were used as a mating display.
It may have been preyed on by the giant mustelid Ekorus
Species
A total of 8 species have been described.[3]
- N. syrticus, Leonardi 1952
- N. leakey, Leakey 1958
- N. kanamensis, Leakey 1958
- N. devaux, Arambourg 1968
- N. jaegeri, Coppens 1971
- N. pattersoni, Cooke and Ewer 1972
- N. tulosus, Cooke and Ewer 1972
- N. plicatus, Cooke and Ewer 1972
References
- ↑ National Geographic Prehistoric Mammals, Alan Turner, 2004
- ↑ Boisserie, Jean-Renaud; Souron, Antoine; Mackaye, Hassane Taïsso; Likius, Andossa; Vignaud, Patrick; Brunet, Michel (2014). "A New Species of Nyanzachoerus (Cetartiodactyla: Suidae) from the Late Miocene Toros-Ménalla, Chad, Central Africa". PLoS ONE. 9 (8): e103221. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103221.
- ↑ http://tech.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/MammalPaleontology/message/668
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