Early Eocene hippomorph perissodactyls (Mammalia) from the Paris Basin
Author
Bronnert, Constance
Author
Métais, Grégoire
text
Geodiversitas
2023
2023-06-08
45
9
277
326
journal article
10.5252/geodiversitas2023v45a9
1638-9395
8037926
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1C430978-5EE6-49AE-AF7C-23C710161CB7
Genus
Pliolophus
Owen, 1858
Pliolophus
Owen, 1858: 54-70
.
TYPE
SPECIES
. —
Pliolophus vulpiceps
Owen, 1858
by original designation.
INCLUDED SPECIES. —
Pliolophus barnesi
Hooker, 2010
;
P. quesnoyensis
Bronnert, Gheerbrant, Godinot & Métais, 2018
.
EMENDED
DIAGNOSIS
(based on
Hooker 2010
). — Upper molar paraconule more mesial than protocone. No mesostyle. Twinned lower molar metaconid. Notched protolophid. Cristid obliqua joining the protolophid in the middle. Lower molar hypoconulid generally linked to the hypoconid. Post-p1 diastema absent or reduced.
DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSIS
. — Differs from
Cymbalophus
, which displays a small hypoconulid closely appressed to the hypolophid by a lower molar hypoconid-hypoconulid junction on m1-2. Differs from
Hyracotherium
by the absence of mesostyle. Differs from
Orolophus
and
Propalaeotherium gaudryi
by a straight centrocrista and a less developed lophodonty.
NOTES
The genus
Pliolophus
was established by
Owen (1858)
, who considered that
P. vulpiceps
differs from
Hyracotherium
by more developed conules, more developed cingulae on upper teeth, and a P1-P2 diastema longer.
P. vulpiceps
displays a well-developed entoconid on p4.
Cope (1884)
includes the American species with the same character within the genus
Pliolophus
.
Wortman (1896)
judged this character variable, and classified
Pliolophus
as a sub-genus of
Hyracotherium
.
Type
specimens of
Pliolophus
and
Hyracotherium
possess several common features, and
Forster-Cooper (1932b)
and
Simpson (1952)
synonymized the two genera.
Hooker (1994)
resurrected the genus based on a phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic analysis ofFroehlich (2002) supported this result, and indicated that
Pliolophus
might be the only European species belonging to the
Equidae
.