Tapiruloides
| Tapiruloides Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Tapirulidae |
| Genus: | †Tapiruloides |
| Species: | †T. usuensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Tapiruloides usuensis Bai et al., 2023 | |
Tapiruloides is an extinct monotypic genus of tapirulid ungulate that lived in East Asia during the Eocene epoch.[1]
Etymology
The generic name Tapiruloides is derived from the name of the genus Tapirulus, a relative of Tapiruloides, and the Greek suffix -oides, meaning similar or alike, referencing its close kinship to Tapirulus. The specific epithet of the type species, Tapiruloides usuensis, is in reference to the locality of Ula Usu in Inner Mongolia, where the holotype fossil of the species was found.[2]
Description
Tapiruloides is distinct from related tapirulid genera due to the cristid obliqua being almost entirely absent on all of its mandibular molars and due to its M3 possessing a beak-like hypoconulid. Tapiruloides can also be distinguished from Tapirulus in that the former has a more anteriorly placed entoconid to the hypoconid compared to the latter.[2]
References
- ↑ "Tapiruloides". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 Bai, Bin; Wang, Yuan-Qing; Theodor, Jessica M.; Meng, Jin (13 March 2023). "Small artiodactyls with tapir-like teeth from the middle Eocene of the Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia, China". Frontiers in Earth Science. 11 1117911. Bibcode:2023FrEaS..1117911B. doi:10.3389/feart.2023.1117911. ISSN 2296-6463.