Subhyracodon (Latin: "below the genus Hyracodon") is an extinct genus of hornless rhinocerotids. With a length of 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) and an estimated weight of 381 kg (840 lb) in S. mitis, it was a tapir-sized herbivore on the plains of early Oligocene South Dakota 33 million years ago. It coexisted with other perissodactyls such as horses, brontotheres, and chalicotheres. Subhyracodon had no horns, relying more on its speed to escape from predators, but a species found at Wind Cave National Park had a pair of bony nasal ridges. The genus Caenopus and species originally referred to as Aceratherium were synonymized into Subhyracodon. It has been suggested to be one of the oldest known members of the subfamily Elasmotheriinae by some studies, though other studies place it firmly outside the Rhinocerotinae-Elasmotheriinae split.
References
External links
- Wind Cave National Park page on Subhyracodon
- Paleobiology Database query for Subhyracodon
